Everlasting Hero: The Argonauts
by SharkAttack719
Summary: Long ago in ancient Greece, a young boy is born. When his mother dies at a young age, he is led to the trainer of all heroes, Chiron the centaur. After four years of training the boy is finally thrown into a quest. Little does he know this quest will be one of the most daunting things he will ever face. May be M; Greek heroes are nasty. COMPLETE. SEQUEL IS UP!
1. Prologue

**Hey everybody,**

**This is a story that I've been thinking about for the past month or so. I've never actually written something that is completely AU, so forgive me if this does not turn out well. This story is basically the story of the original quest for the Golden Fleece with Percy in it. Since there are multiple accounts on the original adventure, some characters and maybe the plot may differ from what your current knowledge on Greek mythology is. Either way, I hope you enjoy this story.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Prologue**

The boy stumbled forward, tree branches snapping at his head.

Tired, he didn't bother slashing at the tree branches with his sword. Plus the fact that it was too heavy, he decided that it would be better if he let it drag.

A small, thin trail was carved into the ground as he continued walking, the forests of Greece surrounding him. He was on a little hunt. He'd escaped from Chiron's custody. Chiron was the old centaur that had trained him to fight since he was a little kid. Tales the centaur told him about training the others, the other great heroes of Greece, were fascinating to the ten-year-old child.

He'd trained Theseus, Jason, Perseus, and sometimes Heracles. Moreover, he helped Artemis and Apollo train when they grew up. He'd never been more intrigued in something in his entire life. He guessed that it was because all that happened to him throughout his life were terrible events.

The year before he'd met Chiron, at the age of five, his mother was killed by a giant black hound of some sort. Then after, he was attacked by many other things that he didn't know of. They were creatures he'd never seen before, creatures that were demonic and intimidating. He'd only survived because he'd found weapons in placed he didn't think weapons would be, as if they'd just shimmered into appearance.

He traveled around a lot, making his way from the newly-founded Athens to Argos, where he had found Chiron and the Greek hero Jason training. Technically, Jason wasn't a hero, but being ten years older than Percy, he was a hero in Percy's eyes.

Percy breathed heavily as he made his way through the edge of the clearing, branches cutting at his face. He sighed in relief when he found the clearing where Chiron had set up camp.

"Oh thank the gods, Chiron," Percy called. "I thought I would never find you."

Shuffling was heard inside of the largest tent, before a tall figure emerged, the bottom-half horse, the top-half human. Chiron smiled warmly at Percy. "Young, Perseus. Do you think I would not set up camp somewhere where you would not be able to find it?"

"First of all, you're right," Percy agreed. "Second of all, don't call me Perseus. I'll never be as good as him. I don't know why my mother and father named me that. It's like they _want_ me to be in the history books: Perseus, slayer of Medusa, against Perseus, pupil of Chiron."

He threw his hands up in exasperation, allowing his sword to clatter to the floor.

"Do not fret, Percy," the centaur said, trying to calm the ten-year-old boy down. "You will earn the spotlight soon, I'm sure of it."

The young boy nodded sleepily. "So, what else do you want me to kill, Chiron? I made a huge circle around this place, scouting for any monsters."

They had set up camp somewhere near Iolcus, where Jason had gone to claim the throne that was rightfully his. Percy was excited, though. He hoped Jason would get his throne back so that Jason could live a happy life, like Perseus did two generations ago. Then sometimes Percy would be able to visit, being a close brother to Jason.

Percy smiled happily while staring at Chiron.

"Well, to answer your question, I will not need you to scout around anymore. I am sure that we can hold out for tonight." Chiron's tail swished side to side as he made his way to the kitchen area. He brought out a dead hare from his pack and placed it gently on the clean table. As he started skinning our dinner, he turned to Percy. "I know you forbid to eat seafood, so I must make sure I hunt for food on land. Would you please help with the cos lettuce?"

He nodded and went over to the food pack. He closed the meats side and opened the vegetables side and brought out the cos lettuce. Percy reached over to the cooking dagger and went over beside Chiron.

"Here, Chiron." Percy handed him the cooking dagger. "You need this to cut the meat, right?"

The centaur raised an eyebrow. "Have I not taught you how to cook with only one knife?"

Suddenly, the truth hit Percy like a bullet train. "Vegetables first," he answered. "Right, Chiron. I guess I need more training?"

The old horse shook his head. "No, Percy. You have been learning quite well for the past four years. I have sent you to do things no other hero has done while training with me. Though you are not nearly as strong as Heracles, not as intelligent as Theseus, or have a reason from your past like Jason, you are the most skilled swordsman I have ever known."

Percy blushed. "Thanks, Chiron."

"It is the truth," he said. "Do not think I am lying to make you feel better."

"I know, I know. I'm still thankful." There was brief silence aside from the cutting of the cos lettuce that Percy was doing, and the slick-sounding noise of raw meat. "Do you really think I'm _the best_ sword fighter? Ever?"

Chiron nodded genuinely. "I mean every word I say, Percy. Now, let's quickly get dinner set up."

They spent until late night creating dinner: hare meat with cos lettuce salad. Percy loved these kinds of meals, not too raw, but not too fancy, like a royal family would have. He assumed it was because his mother was a poor woman and he'd always had mediocre meals.

As he ate dinner, he stared up into the sky where stars glimmered. He made out the Orion, as it was winter. He knew that in the summer, the scorpion would rise in the sky and Orion would flee, marking the symbol of what happened with Orion. Percy knew that Orion was chased by a scorpion, but he didn't know what had exactly happened. He'd never really asked about it. Questions swirled in his head like crazy, but he kept them hidden, something Chiron had taught him to do, for if he was a blabbermouth, he would probably be killed by annoyed kings.

Deciding that it was appropriate, he asked Chiron, "What was the real story behind Orion's death? I know a scorpion was sent after him...but what happened?"

The centaur's face seemingly aged fifty years. "Well, that story is a little dark, Percy."

"Tell me, Chiron. Please?"

He hesitated before sighing. "You might as well know, Percy. It was long ago when a hero named Orion was born. He was a son of Poseidon, much like you. He was an expert bowman, and eventually caught the attention of Artemis, the goddess of hunting. Orion actually fell in love with her first. He acted sweet around her, making her feel like she was the one in charge. Slowly, Artemis developed feelings for Orion. Apollo, Artemis' brother, was furious with this and sent the scorpion after Orion. Orion lost the battle and was killed. When he was killed, Artemis was lugubrious and asked Zeus to be able to control who goes into the stars as well. Zeus asked why, and she explained about Orion. Apollo, however, was proud of his deeds and considered his sister happy and safe. Apollo later confronted Artemis and boasted that he was the one to kill Orion. Artemis beat him up severely, and would have killed had Poseidon not interfered. Poseidon admitted to Artemis that Orion was not a good child. When Artemis rounded on him, he told her that his son had raped women throughout Greece, and only acted sweet around her. He'd murdered many men who seemed threatening and had murdered some women when he was drunk. Artemis didn't believe him at first, but when she consulted Athena, the wise counsel, Athena hesitantly agreed with Poseidon, saying she'd seen him rape women. Broken hearted, she went back to Apollo, apologized for beating him up, and together they put the scorpion up in the sky. Every winter, Orion hunts in the sky, symbolizing his life, until summer arrives and the scorpion chases Orion away."

Percy sat there numbly taking in all of the information. "What does lugubrious mean?"

"It is another word for sad," Chiron informed.

"Okay."

They sat in silence for the next few minutes before Chiron told Percy to get some sleep, as they would be having a long day ahead of them.

Percy acknowledged this and went to bed. His tent was decently cozy and he slept fairly easily. His dreams were nightmares, like usual, but he'd gotten accustomed to them.

He woke up the next morning to the sound of snapping twigs and cracking branches. Percy got up, ran outside, picked up the nearest sword and attacked the intruder, leaping onto the intruder's back and holding the sword to the intruder's neck.

Then Percy saw who it was. "Jason?"

"Percy!" the twenty-year-old said excitedly. "Wow, you have gotten good at your sword fighting. That surprised the Hades out of me."

"What are you doing here?" Percy asked. "I thought you were claiming your throne back?"

"I am," Jason said breathlessly. "I just came back from Iolcus! My uncle, Pelias, gave me a quest that I need to fulfill to retrieve power and seize my throne once again."

"Wow."

"Don't worry, though Percy. Even though Pelias is a son of Poseidon, he was only born out of lust. Poseidon loved your mother, I remember. She was a good woman."

Jason knew Percy's mother personally, as they had met when he was out on a little side mission for Chiron. Jason told Percy of how his mother told him of the stories where Poseidon had actually loved her and didn't "make love" with her, even when she advanced herself. He had to leave after a few months, though at the young age of ten, and was sad to hear of Percy's mother's death when he'd found them four years back.

Percy smiled at his 'brother.' "Thanks, Jason."

Jason caught his breath. "Where's Chiron?"

Percy pointed to the largest tent. "He's still sleeping, I think. Either that, or he's on a hunt for food. Why?"

"Because I need to tell him we're going."

"_We're_ going? Going where?"

Jason grinned. "We're going on a quest for the Golden Fleece."

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above and if any historical facts are actually wrong. I have spent my time looking through different websites, and even a couple of books, but the story that will continue may have incorrect historical info. Still, I believe it just adds to the effect.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	2. Advertising Is Easier Than You'd Think

**Hey everyone,**

**First, I'd like to apologize for my terrible writing. I am not used to writing in third person, so I must get accustomed to it once again, though that will be a problem because my other story is in first person. Anyway, I'd like to announce that although some myths contradict with others, I may need to change the order in which historical myths took place to be able to fit the characters I want into the story.**

**I would also like to thank the people who read this story and hope that you all enjoy it. This first chapter is just an initiation, but the quest will get going quite quickly.**

**Although the setting is ancient Greece, I will make the characters talk in English and informally, as if they were regular boys/men in the modern world. It makes writing this a little bit easier, and the characters more relaxed than if they talked formally all the time. I am trying to make Jason seem like a more relaxed character at first before he gains responsibility.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the story following.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Advertising Is Easier Than You'd Think**

"You're kidding," Percy said, his jaw dropping a little. He'd heard stories about the magical fleece, but it was in the far east. "And you want _me_ to go?"

Jason nodded, his grin getting wider. "I'm not joking, Percy. We're actually going on a quest for the Golden Fleece. And yes, you are coming."

"But, why me?" he asked.

Jason rolled his eyes. "Because you are an excellent sword fighter. Why else?"

Percy blushed, looking down. "Stop saying that. Everyone keeps saying that."

"Well, they wouldn't say it if it wasn't true, right?" Jason responded. "Anyways, I need to talk to Chiron about this. The wise old horse may have some useful information for our journey." He turned to the largest tent. "Chiron! You there?"

There was no answer from the tent.

"You think he's there?" he asked Percy.

The boy shrugged. "I'm not so sure."

Then, they heard a soft galloping noise, before a branch snapped, leaves crunched, and a haggard centaur emerged into the clearing. Chiron's eyes widened when he saw Jason, but it quickly turned into a smile. He greeted Jason kindly.

"What are you doing here, Jason?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be at Iolcus getting your throne back?"

"Pelias gave me a proposition," Jason explained. "He told me that he would give me my throne back if I were to come back to his kingdom with the Golden Fleece. I need to get my rightful throne back, so I accepted. I just came back to ask if you have any advice to give me."

"The Golden Fleece, eh?" Chiron mused. His face turned at least two shades whiter. "That is a _very_ dangerous quest. It is far off, far in the east, my boy. Do you think you can handle getting the Golden Fleece?"

"Yes, because I'm planning to send a message throughout the Greek cities," Jason said firmly. "I will invite the best and strongest heroes of Greece to sail with me and Percy to retrieve the Golden Fleece."

Chiron's face relaxed a bit. "Ah, so you will be travelling with many Greek heroes, I assume. And you will be bringing Percy?"

"Yes. Percy is the best swordsman I know, and he's only ten. I assume that other heroes will be bringing their children or nephews, to earn them credit for being a part of the quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece. No one will hesitate to join if I tell them the rewards."

The centaur nodded, seemingly impressed that Jason had thought of many possibilities. Those old eyes of his swirled, seemingly thinking of every single detail that Jason would need to be able to safely leave and return.

After a moment's pause, the centaur's eyes lit up. "You will need to get the attention of Orpheus. He is a musical mastermind, and there is a part of your journey you may run into if you get lost. He is also decent with a bow, so he can cover you from long range."

Jason nodded. "I will make sure that I recruit him into my group."

Chiron shifted to the side a little bit. "You seem to have this covered. Well done, Jason. You have grown up to be a fine young man."

The twenty-year-old stuck out his chest a little bit. "Thank you for the compliment, my mentor."

Percy could tell Jason was of royal blood. He sometimes acted that way, a natural leader who boasted at times; but it was the fact that he'd been raised in the wilderness that didn't make him over-the-top cocky. Percy liked that kind of mix in a way, and it made Jason a good person to look up to.

There are limits, Percy thought. You can't be too cocky, but you can't be too modest.

"Thank _you_ for being a fine student, even if you were a little temperamental when you were a child," Chiron smiled.

Jason blushed.

"Well, you'd better be off on your quest, Jason," Chiron said. "You have a long way to go. Colchis is not that close."

The son of Aeson exhaled loudly. "Is there anything else that you can advise, Chiron? Before I leave?"

Chiron looked around the clearing, as if looking out for other presences. He looked like he was looking for a spy of some sort. "I notice that you have lost a sandal. Could you tell me the story of arriving at Iolcus and getting assigned your quest?"

Jason frowned but obliged. "Well, I was rushing to the palace, eager to get back what is rightfully mine, when I saw this old lady hobbling near the river Anauros. She beckoned me for help, and so I helped her. While helping her across the river, I lost one of my sandals, but I did not want to go back to look for it."

Chiron waved for him to continue.

"Then by dawn, I arrived at the gates of the palace. When I entered, Pelias was sitting on his throne. He was regarding me with an indifferent look until he saw my feet. I'm not sure what was wrong with him, but he changed his facade and welcomed me. I knew that he was just trying to get on my good side, so I told him of my father and mother, and how I am the rightful king of Iolcus. He raised an eyebrow at me and chuckled. Then he asked me, and I quote, 'If you are the rightful king of Iolcus, you wouldn't mind doing a favor before I pass the throne down to you, would you?' I nodded, and he told me to find the Golden Fleece. Like I said, I must get my throne back and I accepted the quest."

The centaur blinked. "Now, you are sure you helped an old lady?"

"Yes, I am positive."

Chiron's tail swished nervously. His eyes became grim and clouded, the way it did whenever he brought bad news. "When you spread the message of the quest, tell your crew to meet in Argos. You yourself must go to Argos and be warmed by a welcoming gift from the gods."

"What are you talking about, Chiron?" Jason asked.

"You will have to trust me on this deed, my boy," the centaur said grimly. "Be aware of the dangers. I must move camp, so you two should be on your way. Head to Athens first, then to Megara, then Corinth, and finally down into Argos and Sparta. Be aware when you enter Sparta. They are not very friendly to outsiders, especially since you two are from Athens and Thessaly."

"Understood, Chiron," the dark-haired man next to Percy acknowledged. "We will be careful and hopefully avoid Sparta. We just need the word to spread."

Chiron turned to Percy. "Be careful. There are many things in the world which may seem daunting to you. Try to move past them as best as you can. This will be a very good experience for you. I hope that you may be able to come back when you are done this quest to aid me in training young heroes, though."

He blinked. "I was planning on coming back already, Chiron. I will always aid you in any matter you have until my death."

The old centaur smiled. "Perhaps you may become a great hero and become an immortal to help me for eternity."

"Hey! What about me?" exclaimed Jason.

"You too, my boy," Chiron chuckled.

"That's what I was expecting," Jason said, pretending to be arrogant. Then he cracked a smile. "I'm just kidding. Let's go, Percy. We have a lot of work to do."

Percy nodded. "So, where are we off to first?"

"Megara."

* * *

Percy was getting a little tired now, the difference between Chiron helping to cook and Jason cooking too much for the boy too handle. It wasn't to say that Jason was a bad cook. Percy just thought that Chiron really knew how to hunt and make food. There was just that slight ingredient that Chiron added to his meals that Percy found appetizing.

It had taken them four days, but Percy noted that they had entered Attic territory, the land where Athens was located, where he was from.

His eyes darkened when he thought of his mother. He could only wish that the farm they'd lived on. It was in Athens, though at the outskirts. They were poor but not that poor. Percy remembered gentle memories of his mother, the way she would talk to him at night speaking towards the stars. He remembered a special and secret snack his mother would always make for him. She had told him that no one knew of the recipe but her. It included a type of plant from the very far east. His mother called the place India. They were this flat piece of flour heated over a fire with a sweet substance added to it. Percy remember what his mother called them: biscuits. Now that his mother was gone, the recipe was lost.

Percy sighed as he ate the chicken Jason had caught earlier.

"Thinking about your mom?" The twenty-year-old son of Aeson plopped down next to him.

The boy nodded sadly. "I miss her. I was young when she died, but know that I know more of the world, it just makes me feel that I could have done something to help her, even though I know it is impossible."

"Some things happen in life, Percy," Jason said wisely. "There are tragedies that are fated. No one can change them, even the gods themselves. It is the way the Fates advance through time. Heroes and people must die in order for others to move on. I think that is why they are not favored by many, because they control fate and changing it would have terrible consequences."

"They can't control everything, can they?" Percy asked.

"I did not say they controlled everything," Jason pointed out. "I said that heroes and people must die, meaning they control the birth and death of every mortal and making sure that the fates of mortals continue on their paths without obstruction."

"Obstruction means..."

"Obstruct means to prevent something from happening, to stop something," he defined. "Like...obstructing my view would mean stopping me from being able to see what I want to look at."

"Oh."

Jason looked up at the sky, and Percy grinned. The son of Poseidon covered Jason's eyes and asked, "Am I _obstructing_ your view, Jason?"

Percy could feel Jason roll his eyes. "Yes, Percy. You are obstructing my view."

Percy's grin only grew bigger. There were some fun times he had with Jason, which was why he considered the young man his older brother. Not only did Jason help teach him sword fighting, he was also one to play jokes on and with. Jason was seemingly growing out of his childish ways, though. Every man or woman has that inner child in them, Percy thought. Jason's is just going into hiding.

"Okay, Percy," Jason said exasperated. "I want to be able to see where I am putting my food. I might be dropping it all over the ground right now and not be able to notice it."

Laughing, Percy took his hands off of Jason's eyes. "Sorry, Jason. It's just funny."

They quickly finished lunch and packed up camp. It was late morning now, and Jason was hoping to get into Megara by sundown. He told Percy that if they spread the message in Megara, they could quickly get a ride to Athens before sailing to Corinth and travelling down into Argos.

Percy thought that it was a good plan, though he was wondering how they would "get a ride" and then sail without a sailboat. Plus, there was the fact that Chiron had said to go to Athens first.

For the rest of the day, they traveled further south into the Attic lands. There were no holdups, monsters not really a prominent factor in their journey. Percy was pretty sure it was because the Gigantomachy had just ended, and the fact that Heracles was alive. No one would want to piss the son of Zeus off because he would smash them into pita bread.

"Are we almost there?" Percy asked.

"Soon, Percy," Jason responded. "Soon."

They continued walking, and Percy's legs started straining. He was okay with walking by himself to and fro, but carrying all of the supplies they needed to eat and sleep with put a strain on his legs. He was willing to work, though. Chiron always told him that "with great work comes great success."

"You know, Jason," Percy said another ten minutes later. "This quest sounds like it is going to very, very dangerous. I bet it will be. Do you think we'll be able to make it back alive with the Fleece?"

Jason exhaled strenuously. "If we can get the greatest heroes of all time to join this quest."

"Like who?"

"Well, I'm not sure yet, because the only great hero I know of is Heracles," Jason admitted. "But I am sure that there will be some brave, willing souls that will join our conquest. Then together, we shall be famous."

Percy nodded, then turned his attention back to carrying the supplies. Even though Percy was struggling with the supplies, Jason was carrying the most. Percy wondered if the gods could lend them a magical bag of some sort to be nice.

Like Jason predicted, it was sunset when they arrived in Megara. Percy saw the torches being lit up from all over the town making the city look brighter in the setting sun. He wondered what it would be like when they got to Athens, the city (at least the last news he heard about it) was being expanded into a larger city. Percy could remember that although Athens used to be the smaller city than the others, it was quite large. He wondered if any other city for the next few millennia could ever compare to the brightness of Athens.

"Wow," he admired. "Megara looks beautiful. I wonder what it will be like."

"Only one way to find out," Jason sighed.

* * *

"So, you're looking for the bravest men in all of Greece?" the bartender grunted. "There are a lot of foolish young men who would love to get themselves killed on a quest. I assume that is what you are looking for."

"Well, yes actually," Jason nodded, impressed that the bartender could guess that he was looking for men to go on a quest. "I need to spread the word all over Greece. My friend and I will be travelling to Athens next, then to Corinth before finally landing in Argos where the ship will be."

"Humph." The bartender poured him some more beer, and Jason slapped some drachma onto the counter. "Well, I reckon you should get a messenger of some sort. Give him papyrus posters and you should be right on your way. But you have to put all the information down yourself. The scribes will copy them, and if you hire the best ones, the posters should be all over Greece in four days or so."

Jason nodded again, thankful for the advice. "Do you happen to know where I could find the messenger and scribe?"

"Heart of town," the bartender said. "Best scribe in all of Greece in my opinion. Then, his nephew's a messenger. You are going to need quite a bit of drachma, though. It will cost a lot."

Jason smiled and pulled out three bags full of drachmas. "Rich people shouldn't come to this bar. I'm sure that they will accept this. It is precious, is it not?"

The bartender gave him a sly grin. "I'm sure it is. Tip for the help?" He held out his hand.

Jason pursed his lips before giving in. "Alright." He handed the bartender ten drachmas. "That's all I can give you for now."

"That's alright," the bartender shrugged. "It is a worthy tip. Especially considering the drinks are only four."

"But your information is valuable," Jason countered. "Pray that you did not lie to me, or I'll come back to get my money back, no matter the cost."

"I swear to the gods that what I told you is true. It is a solemn oath, young man."

"I trust you are right, but one can never get too suspicious. Thank you for the drink and have a wonderful night, sir." Jason bowed, using only his head.

He turned around only to be faced with a giant crowd of Megarean citizens. "Now," he muttered. "To find that pesky little brother of mine."

* * *

When Jason had gone to talk to the bartender about where they could advertise on a widespread scale, Percy decided he would wade through the crowd and see what bars were like.

Everyone there was older than him, no doubt. In fact, he was pretty intimidated by the amount of people and their size. No one, maybe aside from Heracles, would not be intimidated by people larger than him or her at the age of ten. Percy would bet anyone who contradicted his opinion that it was the case.

Sometime after pretending like he was swimming through the crowd, he found a girl that was about his age, maybe a little older.

She was talking with someone who he presumed to be her father until she noticed him glancing at her. She excused herself and made her way over to the son of Poseidon.

"Hello," she greeted welcomingly. "I am Rhodes."

Percy stared through the girl. "Like that island near Asia Minor?"

The girl laughed. "Yes, like that. It is not very often that I see kids my age around...or at least around my age. What is your name?"

"Um...Percy," he answered. "Well, my birth name is Perseus, like the slayer of Medusa, but I have people call me Percy so that everyone knows that I am not the great hero that slew Medusa."

"You could definitely grow into one, though," Rhodes smiled. She looked at Percy with great interest, her estrogen beginning to kick in. "How old are you, may I ask?"

"Ten."

Rhodes' face fell a fraction. "Well, I am twelve. So, I was right. You are around my age."

"Well, that is interesting," Percy said uncomfortably. "Can I ask, what is living in Megara like? Is it nice and peaceful, or what?"

Rhodes blinked, surprised by the unexpected question. "It's nice. Sometimes you do wish you can get out of the city, though. I have never really enjoyed being out in the wilderness. As long as monsters don't try to come and attack me."

Percy exhaled heavily. "I know what getting attacked feels like. It isn't a very pleasant feeling."

Just then, Jason burst through the crowd, looking as though he'd searched the entire city for Percy. "There you are!" cried the twenty-year-old. "Finally. I thought I'd lost you when I checked the rest of the bar." Then he seemed to notice Rhodes. "Well, hello, young lady. I apologize for interrupting your conversation, but we must be leaving."

Rhodes smiled and nodded at Jason. "It is no problem at all. I will hopefully see you soon again."

Then she turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Jason grinned and nudged Percy. "Got yourself a lady friend, I see."

Percy went red. "No, it wasn't like that. I didn't—"

"I'm just messing with you," Jason smirked. Then he motioned for Percy to follow him. "Come on, we got to go."

"Where are we going?" Percy asked. "What did the bartender tell you?"

"Um, well, he said that there is a scribe in the heart of the city who can help us create posters on papyrus," he explained. "Then, we can send the messenger out to the other cities and if we do it properly, we can get the word all over Greece in four days. That's less time than it will take us to get to Argos."

"Yeah, but then the men will have to get to Argos," Percy noted. "You might want to note that we'll be meeting at the docks where Chiron said the gift from the gods is going to be. It makes it easier for all of us."

"You, sir, are really smart," Jason commended. "Hopefully we can get Theseus, but I think he's in his final years of training before he goes back to Athens where he is the heir to the throne. He'll be on his way there soon, so I'm not sure."

"I'm sure going on this quest won't stop him from reclaiming his throne," Percy said, waving his hand. "It'll probably just make him all the more experienced. Last year when I saw him, he said that he would be heading out in two to three years. He's eighteen right now, so he'll be twenty-one when he goes."

"True enough. Anyways, we'd better get the posters going. Otherwise this quest will be very hard without a crew."

"I'm with you," Percy agreed. "About the scribe...do you know where the heart of the city is?"

Jason's face fell. "I have absolutely no idea."

* * *

Seven days later, they made it to Argos where at the dock, a shipwright named Argus was putting the finishing touches onto a very impressive galley that he'd constructed.

"How the Hades did Chiron know that this would be here?" Percy asked Jason.

"I have no idea," replied the twenty-year-old honestly. "Chiron just has this way of knowing things. It's weird with him."

"Here, Jason," Argus called. "It's finished."

The shipwright waved at Percy and Jason from the bow where he had just finished adjusting the front mast. Argus gave the piece of art a look of love, as if it were his baby. In a way, it was, considering that he was the one that designed it and built it. Percy couldn't imagine having an actual baby with one person, no second person involved whatsoever.

Jason whistled appreciatively as he walked around the boat analyzing everything. "You built and designed this boat by yourself?"

Argus shook his head. "I had divine help. The goddess Athena helped me in designing this work of magnificent art."

Percy looked around at the majestic ship. There were three sails, the largest one in the front and two on either side to increase the speed if necessary. As a son of Poseidon, Percy could tell that the sails at full sail with a good, strong wind could make them arrive in Colchis in less than a year. In addition to the sails, there were two banks of oars making this galley a bireme. The giant oars were each locked into a small hole in the side of the boat, the top deck containing spots for fifty rowers. Percy noticed that the gunwales were low and easy to jump over. That would be a great strength and a great weakness. On one hand, they'd be able to get off the ship quickly, but they could also be boarded quickly be pirates. He was hoping that the crew Jason mustered up would be good enough to fight off pirates if they ever encountered them.

Percy went downstairs to check out the sleeping quarters. Argus, or Athena as she'd pretty much helped him completely, had a pretty good sense of ingenuity. Instead of one room per warrior, as that would take up too much space (assuming we had fifty warriors), there were shared rooms. Each room was slightly bigger than an average-sized room for one, but four beds were placed in each room. In each room, there would be two beds on the ground, and then a wooden frame would stand over top of each of those beds where another person could sleep. Percy knew would never have thought of that before. Argus called them stacked beds, as the beds were stacked upon each other.

There were fourteen rooms in total: twelve for the regular crew, one for the helmsman, Argus and the navigator, and one for the captain and his closest companion.

Jason said that he would sacrifice his spot as captain, should someone like Heracles show up.

"Well, if Heracles showed up, that would be something," Argus said. "But I doubt the crew would like it much. He's in the middle of doing some labours, and the fact that he'll probably steal the spotlight from everyone else, most of the crew would hate him from the start."

"That is true," Jason admitted frowning. "I am pretty sure Pelias will not give me my throne back if he hears that Heracles helped me. I need to be able to get credit for this."

Argus nodded and walked back upstairs to where the main oars were. "I guess I should introduce you to your helmsman and your navigator for this trip. They will be here shortly. Tiphys will be your helmsman, and your navigator will be Ancaeus, king of Samos."

Percy tapped an oar, sending a vibration down the giant paddle. "You make this seem like you are completely prepared for all of this. You even got some crew members already. How did you know that we would be coming? How did you know to get all of this prepared?"

Argus stared at him as if he were stupid. "Were you not sent by Hera?"

Jason and Percy shared a look. "Hera?" asked Jason warily.

"Yes, she was the one who came to me months ago warning me of this," Argus said as if it were blatantly obvious. "Were you not sent by Hera?"

"The old lady!" Jason suddenly exclaimed. He turned to Percy, his eyes shining with realization. "The old lady in the river Anauros! She was Hera! That's how Chiron knew about this. It's because the project has been going on for months."

"But then how come we never knew about it?" asked a confused Percy.

"We were holed up in Thessaly," Jason said quickly. He turned to Argus who had an eyebrow raised at them. "When we get our crew to set sail, head for Iolcus first. Pelias will want to make sure I am leaving on this quest on a fair note. Perhaps Hera will be in the crowd somewhere, and we may be able to get her help for this journey."

Argus thought about it. "Well...I suppose that it is a—"

"Argus!" a voice shouted from below. "Argus, are you there?"

The shipwright cut off the conversation and jogged to the edge of the boat. He stood at the gunwales. "Tiphys? I'm here! The man we are supposed to meet is here as well. I think that it will be good to meet them, don't you think?"

"Not yet," the voice called. "Tell the young man that his crew is arriving. I saw and heard men asking for directions to the port asking about a quest for the Golden Fleece."

Jason went wide-eyed. "They're arriving already? I better get down there to see what is going to happen. I want to see how many people we managed to recruit. Hopefully many."

Percy watched as Jason leaped over the gunwale and disappeared.

Argus turned to Percy, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "A brave, young fellow that Jason is. You're his companion, is that right?"

Percy nodded.

"How old are you, may I ask?"

"Ten."

"And you're heading off on this dangerous quest?"

"Chiron said it would be okay."

Argus went white. "You were trained by Chiron? _The_ Chiron who helped raise Apollo and Artemis?"

The son of Poseidon nodded. "It's amazing isn't it. How could Chiron mentor some of the greatest heroes ever to live. He even trained the original Perseus, the one who killed Medusa and led to Heracles' mortal line."

"Well, if you're trained by Chiron, I'd say you will fight right in on this quest," Argus smiled kindly. "Most would say that this quest is not for younger warriors like yourself, but since Jason is your good friend, the others will probably welcome you with as much respect as they give him...though you can never be sure. Greek heroes are sometimes more rude than they appear to be."

Percy smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, Argus." Then he looked down at his feet. "Um, can we go see, you know...who's—"

"Of course, son of Poseidon."

They jumped out of the bireme and jogged over to where Jason was standing in front of what seemed like dozens of soldiers. There were men of all kind there standing around Jason with their weapons sheathed. Most were fit, strong men who looked as though they could last more than five seconds in a fight with Heracles. Then Percy noticed Heracles himself standing amongst the swarm of people around Jason.

"This," said Argus. "Now, _this_ is what you call a mighty fine crew."

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above and if any historical facts are actually wrong. I have spent my time looking through different websites, and even a couple of books, but the story that will continue may have incorrect historical info. Still, I believe it just adds to the effect.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	3. Girls Aren't Allowed

**Hey everyone,**

**First, I'd like to apologize for my terrible writing. I am not used to writing in third person, so I must get accustomed to it once again, though that will be a problem because my other story is in first person. Anyway, I'd like to announce that although some myths contradict with others, I may need to change the order in which historical myths took place to be able to fit the characters I want into the story.**

**Although the setting is ancient Greece, I will make the characters talk in English and informally, as if they were regular boys/men in the modern world. It makes writing this a little bit easier, and the characters more relaxed than if they talked formally all the time. I am trying to make Jason seem like a more relaxed character at first before he gains responsibility.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the story following.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Girls Aren't Allowed**

Percy never thought that they would have gotten this many troops, but apparently Hera really wanted to help Jason.

"Wow," he muttered. "That's a lot of people."

"Like I said," Argus repeated, "_a mighty fine crew_."

Jason turned and saw them watching the crowd around him. He waved them over. "Percy! Argus! Get over here!"

Percy immediately obeyed his orders and jogged over to where Jason was. He was standing on a box of some sort, towering over the other men. Percy never really noticed it before, but Jason was a very tall man, and with the sense of responsibility and leadership he'd gained by helping to train him, he looked like an optimum leader.

"Heroes!" Jason called over the mingling warriors. "Quiet down, would you kindly do, please."

The loud conversations from the men ceased quickly. Everyone turned their attention to Jason, who looked comfortable with all of the attention. Percy hated attention. It was the one thing he couldn't stand. Maybe going on this quest would change his views, though as a ten-year-old boy, he doubted that highly.

"Heroes!" Jason called again. "You all come from different parts of Greece: Sparta, Argos, Corinth, Megara, Athens, Crete, Thessaly, Delphi, Thebes, and more great cities. We have our differences, as I myself come from Iolcus in Thessaly. We grew up in different places and have had different influences on our lives. Some of you may have had a tough childhood, while others grew up in royal families. But _this_ is the Quest for the Golden Fleece! Together, we will prevail and become the greatest heroes as one to walk the Earth."

A loud cheer erupted from the crowd.

"We have a great hero in our presence today!" Jason continued. "Heracles, in all his glory, who has completed five great labours that will earn him a spot in glory, not only for his deeds to the gods, but as a member of the Quest for the Golden Fleece."

Percy saw Heracles smile, a cocky smile, but a smile nonetheless. The cheering was less enthusiastic now, just like Argus had predicted. Percy guessed that these men really wanted credit for actually doing something during the quest, rather than letting Heracles do everything.

Then Jason changed the subject. "For our journey across the seas of the Mediterranean, we will be taking this lovely bireme there and back. This is _our_ ship, the ship we sail to find the Golden Fleece."

"What shall the name be?" someone asked. "It seems as though you have not named it."

"Uh..." Jason stared straight in front of him, his face morphing into one of a thinking action. He glanced down at Percy, his eyes screaming for help.

The crowd began shuffling awkwardly, their supposed leader not being able to think of a simple name for the ship. Then a light went off in Percy's head.

"The _Argo_!" he shouted, gaining the attention of the men standing around Jason. Most looked surprised, as if they hadn't noticed him before. "The _Argo_ fits its builder, Argus, who will be coming on the trip, and fits the city that it was built it, Argos."

"The_ Argo_," Jason mused. He slowly smiled. "Our ship, the_ Argo_!"

The crowd still looked stunned at the fact that Percy was there. No one cheered or clapped, creating awkward silence around them. Argus looked a little flushed, though, not expecting the ship to be named after _him_. Then Heracles stepped forward and pointed at Percy. His face was directed toward Jason.

"What is that boy doing here?" the son of Zeus asked. His voice sounded loud and proud, yet at the same time had a slight kindness to it, as if he'd dealt with children before. "It is not safe for the child to come on this quest. We are heading for the Golden Fleece, you say? It will be guarded by a ferocious dragon that none of you have seen before."

Jason pressed his lips together firmly. "That is Perseus, or Percy as he likes to be called. He has been trained by the likes of Chiron and his father, Poseidon. I have seen him in combat with monsters, and I see him fit to go on this quest. He is willing to risk his life to head on this quest."

Percy wouldn't say "_willing to risk his life_," but he was willing to face any dangers that they would encounter on their quest. He had been trained for four years with Chiron, and a little bit from his father. Zeus had proclaimed a law after he became King of Olympus that gods could interact with their children as long as they kept their sense of godly duties. Becoming human was dangerous for a god, according to the mighty king.

"A brave, young boy," Heracles smiled. "Much like myself. And he is a son of Poseidon, the god of the seas?"

"Yes," Jason confirmed. "This quest will be along the seas, so children of Poseidon may be prevalent. Percy, however, is like no other son of Poseidon. He holds great power that has yet to be fully unveiled. I have traveled all over Greece and no other swordsman is better than this ten-year-old boy."

A lot of the men laughed. One spoke up. "Do you truly believe that this boy is better than all of us at combat?"

"I never said combat. Heracles could easily crush Percy in hand to hand fighting, and in terms of hunting, Percy is not the best with a bow. But in sword fighting, you will all succumb to his superior skills. Even I, who helped teach him, have lost to this boy."

"That is unlikely," the man snorted.

"Want to watch us combat, then? I swear to the River Styx that I will not hold back in this non-fatal match." Thunder rumbled in the sky.

The men all around grinned and backed up. It seemed like, to Percy, that these men would enjoy a twenty-year-old man beat up a ten-year-old child. _Cruel_, thought Percy. _These men are cruel_.

Jason looked straight into his eyes. A message was sent through that eye contact, a message that said, _Don't kill me. Try to hold back and hit with the butt of the sword._

"Should you not wear armor first?" Argus suggested. "And grab a shield?"

"A shield is for pansies," Heracles called.

Percy turned and glared at the son of Zeus. "For you, maybe, as you can combat anything with your bare hands, but think of other swordsman. Fighting two-handed with one sword gives only more power, but fighting with a sword and a shield gives you better defense and versatility. I've learned that defense wins matches."

The men blinked, surprised at his knowledge.

"Percy, here." Jason tossed him a shield, which fit perfectly onto Percy's arm.

Jason pulled out his sword and pointed it at Percy. "No armor?"

Percy shook his head. "No armor needed. But can I get a better sword. This one is a little heavy. It keeps me off-balance."

Jason smirked. "Too late, Percy. Match starts...NOW!"

Alarmed at the sudden start, Percy put his shield up to block the incoming strike from Jason. It was a downward stroke, as if Jason wanted to symmetrically slice Percy in half. Percy pulled out his own sword and parried a side-swipe stroke. He took blow after blow, his shock a disadvantage to him.

The men around were chuckling amongst themselves, thinking that they were right, and Percy unable to defeat Jason in combat.

But Percy already had a plan in his head. Jason was a skilled sword fighter, but never listened to Chiron's teachings. He would always go on the offensive first, wearing down his own energy. It was a tactic Percy never told Jason, just for the fact that Percy could beat him every time if he held his ground.

A flurry of strikes from Jason seemed to put Percy off-balance, but the boy recovered quickly. He strafed to the right and jabbed at a open spot at Jason's side. It grazed his skin, creating a tear in his shirt and a thin cut along the side of his abdomen. Jason faltered for that split second, and Percy stepped in, slamming his shield hard against Jason. The twenty-year-old stumbled backwards before somersaulting over the approaching ten-year-old. He grabbed Percy from behind and held the sword across his neck.

"Do you yield?" he asked.

Percy dropped his sword to the ground and drooped his shield before reaching up and grabbing Jason's wrist. He'd practiced this far too often to be able to mess up. In a lightning-fast, viper-like grip, he ducked under the sword, the blade coming close to taking his nose off, and pushed Jason to the ground. He hit the nerve at Jason's elbow, which sent a tingle throughout his sword arm. Percy took the sword out of Jason's temporarily stunned hand, threw his shield to the ground and grabbed his sword from the ground. Jason's sword was much too heavy for Percy, but Percy managed to keep it from drooping down.

Everybody seemed to think that he was going to defeat Jason at that moment, but he wanted a little more fun, so he just held the sword out for Jason to grab.

The son of Aeson grabbed it and got back up on his feet. "What are you doing, Percy? You could have ended the battle."

Percy grinned. "Let me show them that although fighting with better defense and versatility can win, power is sometimes a good option when your opponent is weakened."

"Are you saying I am weakened?" Jason held his sword as firm as ever.

"Not at all."

Then Percy charged. He made robotic but hard slashes at Jason's shield, trying to damage it as much as possible.

The boy did the same somersaulting move over Jason but only kicked his sparring partner forward. Jason and Percy charged forward into each other once again, their swords meeting halfway. Bronze clashed with bronze, a seemingly endless battle ensuing. After what seemed like forever for the two, Jason managed to take advantage of Percy's unbalanced sword. He struck down hard enough so that Percy's sword arm would feel the true weight of the sword. Percy _did_ feel that and his sword clattered to the ground.

"Curse you, Jason!" Percy shouted, leaping out of the way. "You know I can't fight with a heavier sword."

"Keeping up with a man ten years older than yourself with a heavy sword is impressive enough, considering you're only ten years of age. Especially considering no man has beat me in sword combat in years."

Percy backed up to the edge of the circle when he heard something clatter at his feet.

It was a hair pin.

He glanced up and saw the flicker of a smile on Heracles' face. Percy picked it up and immediately, it elongated into a magical sword that was three-feet-long. It gleamed bronze and shined brightly in the daylight. Percy noticed the engravings near the hilt.

"Anaklusmos," Percy muttered.

Then Jason attacked.

Percy never thought he'd ever find a sword that was balanced for him. Anaklusmos was the very definition of well-balanced. It fit in his hand perfectly, the weight seemingly fitting for everything he did. He also felt more power when holding the sword, as if the sword were connected to the sea.

Percy blocked Jason's attack with ease now, the sword seemingly an extension of his arm. He rolled to the side as Jason came down with a strike. Percy ran over to his shield, picked it up and put it on his arm.

Jason looked weary now, the battle and lack of sleep taking its toll on the young man. Percy took that and used it to his advantage. Now, Percy could go full offensive, striking as he pleased.

Jason managed to hold himself for five more minutes before Percy did a torso-turning kick, a kick he'd personally named a roundhouse kick, that his father said that they did in the far east, in a place called Japan. The kick sent Jason's shield flying.

Percy blocked a strike from Jason before disarming him, twisting Jason's sword with the flat of his own blade, forcing the man to drop it. It clattered to the stone pavement, and Percy's sword was inches from his undefended chest.

Everyone was silent.

"Yield?" Percy asked, tired.

"I yield," Jason declared before turning to the stunned crowd. "There you have it. Percy can defeat me in straight up combat. Now, back to talking about the quest..."

Percy slipped out of the ring before the men could come back in to trample him.

Then he saw Heracles grinning at him, causing the son of Poseidon to walk over to the great hero.

"You dropped this," Percy said, holding the sword out.

The mighty son of Zeus shook his head. "I prefer using my bare hands. Swords are excellent as well...but I prefer my hands."

He stared at Heracles stunned. "You're—You're just giving this to me?"

Heracles nodded. "You deserve it. It is a blade worthy of a fighter like yourself."

Percy's eyes gleamed with excitement and thankfulness. "I—I don't know what to say. Thank you, Heracles. I—It is an honor. But...it was a hair pin. Where did you get this sword?"

"A failed labour," Heracles admitted. "I was to steal the golden apples from the Garden of the Hesperides. One of the lovely ladies tried helping me, but I failed, chased away by Ladon. As a parting gift, she gave me this sword, Anaklusmos, the current that takes one by surprise. And before you know it, you have been swept out to sea. I promised her that I would come back for her. I will, one day, and make her my wife, to repair for the damage done to my first family." He grimaced, the memory painful.

"I—Thank you, Heracles. I couldn't be more thankful."

"It is no problem, Perseus," Heracles said. "One day, you may become a great hero, like I will be. Greece is large enough to hold tales of more than one hero."

Percy nodded his thanks. He opened my mouth to ask something before someone exclaimed, "She can't be here! She's a woman!"

Percy frowned and went to check out the commotion.

"And just because I am a girl means I cannot come on this quest?" the girl said.

Percy saw Jason knotting his eyebrows. "I am sorry, young one. I cannot allow you to come on this quest as it will cause strife amongst the crew."

"And why might that be?" she demanded.

"The rooms are shared, and I fear for your...safety." Jason seemed hesitant, making sure he chose his words carefully.

"Jason," Percy called out. "Why don't you just sacrifice your room for her, and then have someone you trust in there guarding the room?"

Jason turned to look at him and blinked. "That is not a bad idea, Percy. But she is a woman and young. Women should not be—"

"Sexist," the girl muttered.

For the first time, Percy examined the girl. She looked around fifteen years of age and had long brown hair. There seemed to be an aura of danger around her, as if coming close to her was a bad idea. However, there was also that feminine aura around her. Percy knew most men were lust-filled idiots, so he could tell that it was an aura of sexuality. He had a feeling that many men would be after her when she grew a little bit older.

"No, Jason," Percy said. "Let her on the quest. I have a feeling that she's a better fighter than she looks. And by the bow slung on her back, I believe she is a hunter."

"Percy, you know very well of the risks of this quest," Jason said, his voice strained. "A beautiful young lady like this should not have to be sacrificed, as fate may choose to cut her cord."

"Jason...just...inquire about her."

"Fine." Jason turned to the girl. "What is your name?"

"Atalanta," she responded quickly.

"And where are you from?"

"I am the daughter of King Iasus of Arcadia," she announced. "But my lady says my father wanted no daughter but a son. I grew up in the forests of Arcadia, a group of hunters raising me until I met the goddess Artemis. She is my patron."

"See, Jason," Percy whispered to him. "Find out who they are before you accept or decline. Didn't you listen to Chiron's advice?"

"He didn't teach me that," he whispered back. "I was mostly trained in terms of fighting. Your fighting skill is mostly natural."

"Crew of the_ Argo_!" Jason hailed. "What do _you_ think? Should we allow Atalanta as a part of the Quest for the Golden Fleece?"

Percy frowned. He didn't think that would be fair. The girl had come here, wasting her time to be a part of a quest she would probably be kicked out of.

It was silence for a brief period of time before someone stepped forward and said, "No!" That began a miniature riot, as everyone began shouting about how girls weren't supposed to be on quests and how girls belonged in households serving their families.

Atalanta scowled but took the criticism without crying.

She is a tough girl, thought Percy.

He wondered if Artemis was watching them right now, getting ready to curse the_ Argo_ when it set sail for Iolcus.

"Jason." Percy looked at his companion with the most pleading look he could muster up. Percy knew that having the girl on the trip would not only gain credit for the huntress, but also teach men a lesson. When Chiron told him the stories of the gods and goddesses, he found that Artemis was right in a way. Women _did_ deserve credit. "For the Olympians."

Jason looked conflicted and he bit his lip. He looked over the swarm of men who would become his crew, the crew he would lead from Iolcus to Colchis and back. There was no doubt in his mind that Percy was right, that Atalanta is allowed to be on the quest. He'd heard the same stories as well from Chiron as Percy had. Then he made a decision.

"Despite your wishes, Atalanta will join the quest," he boomed. Complaints exploded from the crowd, like fire bombs. "Now I know this may cause strife and conflict, but I will make sure you do not even notice her during our voyage. She will not be a problem."

Angry callouts began emerging from the men. They began calling threats to Jason about killing him when he slept. Percy had never seen Jason get really, really angry before, but he did this time. His face went red and he bellowed, "You will obey my orders or get out of here!"

Silence swept over the crowd like a giant tsunami wave. It came tumbling down on them creating a sudden cease in noise, like calm waves on a summer day.

Jason looked angry, as if he were going to tear someone to shreds. His face was a bright red, but one of anger rather than embarrassment. His eyes were red as well, the veins in his neck seemingly popping. "You will do as I say or leave! If you are such wimps that you disallow a woman on board the _Argo_, than you may leave, never to be mentioned ever again in history."

The silence from the crowd continued.

"_Now_, who believes that Atalanta should not be a part of this quest?" Jason asked daringly. "If you do think she should not, leave at this very instance."

Nobody moved. Nobody left. Nobody made a sound. The only thing that Percy could hear were the light waves thumping against the shore.

Then the red drained from Jason's face and he turned to Atalanta. He stuck his hand out to her. "Welcome, Atalanta, to the Quest for the Golden Fleece. I hope you have a good experience. Your room will be shared with Percy, here. No one should complain about that, right?"

He was met with silence.

"Good, now—"

"Jason!" someone shouted as they ran down towards the group. "Jason! Am I too late?"

"Theseus?"

Percy hopped onto the box that Jason was standing on and saw the young eighteen-year-old son of Aegeus running toward them. The young man was jogging down to the boat, seemingly hoping to join the quest.

"What are you doing here, Theseus?" Jason called.

People parted as the man walked through. Theseus, Percy's quarter-brother, caught his breath slowly. "This—I thought that this quest would be good training before I head back to my father, my mortal one, that is. Am I too late to join?"

Jason shook his head as a small smile broke out on his face. "Of course not, Theseus. We could use all of the help we get."

Theseus looked around at the men gathered around Jason before his landed on Atalanta. "And who might this be?"

"Atalanta," the son of Aeson said. "You will not touch her."

"I know, I know." Theseus put his hands up. "I was just curious."

A little bit of silence followed, no one really sure of what was happening.

"Sir," Tiphys suddenly called out to Jason. "I have just realized...we have a name for our lovely vessel, but we do not have a name as a collective group."

He frowned. "We don't have a name for ourselves, do we Tiphys? What should we call ourselves?"

"_The Golden Fleece Crew_?" someone suggested.

Jason shook his head. "No, too long."

"_The Peninta_?" another person suggested.

Jason considered that. "We do not have exactly fifty in our crew, so it does not relate to us completely."

Percy pursed his lips. "How about the _Argonauts_?"

Everyone turned to him once again. He felt himself shrinking back from the attention. "You know, because our ship is the _Argo_. _Nauts_ just sounds cool. The _Argonauts_. I guess it is like a shortened term of nautical, which is a naval term. And we're on the ocean, so..."

"That's not such a bad idea," complimented Atalanta. "I move that we use that name."

"I second that," put in Theseus.

"Third," called Heracles.

"And I fourth that," Jason smiled. "All hail the _Argonauts_, the sailors of the Mediterranean, and retrievers of the Golden Fleece, because we _will_ find the Golden Fleece, and it will be ours!"

Everyone's spirits began to be lifted again, the cheering ensuing once more.

By sunrise the next morning, the _Argo_ was launched from the city of Argos, looping around south back north to Iolcus, where Jason would tell Pelias he was going on his mission to Colchis.

As Percy stood at the bow of the bireme, enjoying the waves, feeling the currents of the ocean whip around the boat, he could feel power surge into him, the hair clip-sword named Anaklusmos clipped to his finger. With the extra energy he had, he urged the boat forward, a special power he realized he could do. Percy wanted to get to Iolcus quick because the faster they got there, the faster the exciting quest would arrive.

"This is going to be an awesome quest," he told Atalanta, who was standing beside him.

"I guess it will be, but it is dangerous," she replied.

"Danger?" he asked. "Bring it on."

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above and if any historical facts are actually wrong. I have spent my time looking through different websites, and even a couple of books, but the story that will continue may have incorrect historical info. Still, I believe it just adds to the effect.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	4. First Tastes of Sea Voyage

**Hey everyone,**

**First, I'd like to apologize for my terrible writing. I am not used to writing in third person, so I must get accustomed to it once again, though that will be a problem because my other story is in first person. Anyway, I'd like to announce that although some myths contradict with others, I may need to change the order in which historical myths took place to be able to fit the characters I want into the story.**

**Although the setting is ancient Greece, I will make the characters talk in English and informally, as if they were regular boys/men or girls/women in the modern world. It makes writing this a little bit easier, and the characters more relaxed than if they talked formally all the time. I am trying to make Jason seem like a more relaxed character at first before he gains responsibility.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the story following.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**First Tastes of Sea Voyage**

Percy never thought that before their quest would be a hassle, aside from getting the _Argonauts_ assembled.

It turns out that Artemis was a little miffed from the comment about women belonging in the households serving their families. They were blown off course, Percy being able to tell exactly where they were in the sea. Now, instead of heading east then north, they were heading southwest, towards Thrinacia.

The crew quickly adjusted the sails, lowering them and getting to the oars to paddle out of this mess. Jason ordered all sons of Poseidon to try controlling the water around, but going against a goddess' power would be unsuccessful.

Percy and the other sons of Poseidon managed to calm the sea around, but the journey was already heading in a sour note.

Percy knew that his own water controlling powers were not great, in fact, he would hardly call them powers. The best thing he could do was calm water or make it like rapids. He didn't know why it was this way, but he figured it had something to do with investing all of his time training in swordplay. He literally spent almost every single day and night practicing swordplay when he could have been going out in the real world, the cities, to learn about what life was like and all of that. Four intense years of training...he wished he could take half of that back. He was a disgrace to sons of Poseidon, even if the god himself had helped his swordplay and told him that he had a natural ability to be a good sword fighter.

This was ongoing for at least half an hour before the winds suddenly died down and a huge wave propelled them forward. The ship lurched and the _Argonauts_ managed to hold on before they could tumble into the Mediterranean.

One of the sons of Poseidon started, "What the—" before a wave crashed over top of them and his words were lost.

Percy submerged before looking around to see whether the others were alright. Most were fine, though the water had sprayed overtop the entire ship. Most of the crew members were wet, though he and the other sons of Poseidon were dry. He was kind of glad that he still had the power to stay dry.

"Poseidon is giving us a boost," Jason announced from the helm, where Tiphys and Ancaeus were soaked. They continued helping steer the boat, however, seemingly unfazed by the winds and waves. "Be prepared."

Percy held on to the nearest gunwale tightly in anticipation of the waves to come. He could feel the pressure slowly building in the water behind the boat. He could see the currents in the water. Then suddenly, _BOOM_!

A boat-rattling wave slammed into the stern, as if whacking its butt.

"Are you sure this is Poseidon?" Percy screamed. "It doesn't seem like it to me!"

"I don't know, but hold on!"

Slowly in the sky, clouds began floating in, but not those bright white ones. The clouds coming in were dark grey, like...

"Storm clouds!" Argus called out.

Thunder rumbled in the distance. The waves were beginning to retreat now, the sea slowly calming back down. The wild winds presumably from Artemis had also stopped. The _Argonauts_ knew that the ocean battle was over, but all stared at the sky, which was slowly getting darker and darker.

"This is not summer," Percy gulped.

"But that does seem like Zeus," replied the man next to him. Percy stared at him. With a cheeky smile, the man held out his hand. "The name is Periclymenus. I am the son of Neleus, King of Pylos. My grandfather is Poseidon."

"You have control over water?" Percy asked a little bit shocked that he'd never met a grandson of one of the gods. Heracles didn't count.

"By the gods, no," Periclymenus shook his head. "I am just the son of a son of Poseidon. But, Poseidon did give me a cool power."

"What is it?"

"I will show you later, when we get to Iolcus," he chuckled. "You know, you remind me of a friend of mine when he was a child. You seem very powerful, though, Percy. That is something he is not."

"I'm not that powerful," Percy blushed.

The boat began swaying a little, the winds beginning to pick up again. Thunder rumbled again, this time louder and closer.

"Raise the sails," Jason ordered. "The winds are picking up again."

"Raising the sails!" called Heracles. The son of Zeus hopped up and pulled on the ropes. With his immense strength, he managed to raise the sails in less than thirty seconds, a feat that no regular man could do. Percy was astonished that Heracles got all of the benefits in life: he has a lot of strength, he is practically undefeatable in battle, and he is considered to be the greatest hero of all time, even better than Perseus, his ancestor.

Percy, however, was somewhat of an "in between." Sure he was great at swordplay, but all the praise he got...sometimes he wondered if Jason going full on in a "non-fatal battle" was nothing compared to his swordplay when he _was_ going full on while killing people. He sometimes wondered if Chiron just wanted to raise Percy's spirits because of the horrible things that had happened to him. His mother _was_ killed right in front of his eyes.

Percy always had this self-doubt about himself. _What if I'm not what people tell me I am?_

He reflected back to the short skirmish that he and Jason had just before the voyage. Jason had his sword at Percy's neck, yet when Percy ducked under it, Jason could have knocked him to the floor by tripping up his legs.

That was the main reason why Percy hated being called the best of anything. He knew ways that the others could best him in, whether it be swordplay or intelligence or hand-to-hand combat. It just seemed to him that others were too stupid to realize it...not Chiron, he meant other mortals that he'd met.

The hairs that were growing on Percy's neck stood up on end before they settled back down, as if the danger was suddenly retreating. He was correct on his guess. The sky, which had been growing darker, suddenly lit up, temporarily blinding the son of Poseidon.

When he looked back up, the storm clouds began retreating, Zeus seemingly no longer angry.

Periclymenus sighed with relief. "I thought we'd be blasted by Lord Zeus. I thank him for not following through with that."

"I wonder why," Percy mused.

"Keep rowing until there are no more interventions," Jason ordered. "We must have a secure path to Iolcus. We should be ready to cease the paddle by midday. It will be a long journey, my friends, but our combined strength shall be worth it. Heracles, could you come up and make sure that Tiphys and Ancaeus do not mess up the directions? I will help with the sails."

"Of course, Jason," Heracles said, acknowledging that Jason was the true leader of the _Argonauts_.

Jason nodded at the son of Zeus and jogged down to the deck. He pointed at Periclymenus and jerked his head towards the sails. "Help me with the sails, would you...?"

"Periclymenus," he responded. "That is my name, sir."

"Periclymenus," Jason repeated. "Help me with the sails, would you?"

"Yes, sir."

Jason turned to Percy. "Go give Atalanta something to do. Say I tell her to either row or stand at the bow of the _Argo_ as a lookout. Alright?"

"Got it, sir."

Jason's mouth twitched into a small, proud smile. "Go."

The son of Poseidon went downstairs, where the daughter of Iasus had gone after the first five minutes. He wasn't sure what she was doing, but he didn't really want to find out.

Percy went to the lower deck, which was technically the second floor, and scoured the sleeping quarters to find Atalanta. He was pretty sure she didn't know which room was supposed to be Jason's, so he checked every room. Surprisingly, she was careful in checking which room was which; he found her in Jason's room inspecting the beds and all of that other stuff.

She heard Percy's footsteps and turned around to meet the surprised boy's face. She smiled at him. "I may have been born to royalty, but I have grown up in the wilderness, hunting and making sure that I hear the almost inaudible noises."

"You spent your entire life living out in the wilderness and training?" Percy asked.

Atalanta shook her head. "Living out in the wilderness, yes; however, no one, not any hero or heroine, truly trains for years straight. There are always breaks that heroes take to relax. That is why I believe men cannot be excellent fighters without being gifted. I saw your fight with Jason, by the way. I says you can defeat him easily, yet—"

"He could have taken me out at one point, I know," Percy sighed. "I don't know. Chiron said that I was the best mortal swordsman he'd ever met, but I'm wondering if he was lying, that he was just trying to raise my spirits."

"Who knows?" she shrugged. "Maybe he was saying that compared to other heroes at _your_ age, you are better. Jason could have been worse than you at fighting when he was ten. And he probably was. The fact that you can go head-to-toe with someone twice your age is an amazing feat already."

"Thanks," he smiled. Then he remembered what he had come for. "Oh yes, Jason wanted me to tell you that you should come above deck to either row or to stand at the bow to scout."

"I suppose I will row," Atalanta sighed. Percy saw her clench something in her hand. "It is more entertaining than standing by myself at the bow. It would be very boring."

"It doesn't have to be boring," Percy said. "I have nothing to do, so maybe we could talk. I am kind of bored anyways."

"Sure, I guess."

Percy followed Atalanta up the steps to the main deck where Tiphys, Ancaeus and Jason were shouting out commands to each other and the rowers. The winds were fairly steady, none blowing from completely different directions as before. The waves had also calmed down until that lightly lapped against the hull.

When Jason caught sight of Percy and Atalanta, he waved. "So what's it going to be?"

"We're going to scout ahead, keep an eye on the ocean forward," Percy called back. "I might be able to sense creatures up ahead, though it's not likely."

The rowers groaned. Theseus spoke up. "Come on, Percy. We need your muscle and strength to row this faster. Do you know how long the journey is to Iolcus? If we were flying, then it would be a different story."

"I may have trained for four years and become a decent swordsman, but trust me, I'm not that strong," he replied. "Plus, I don't actually have much power with a sword. Chiron taught me in a different way than you guys. I fight tactically."

"That's for sure," Theseus muttered. "Must be why you beat us."

"Anyways, like Jason says, keep rowing and we'll be there in time," Percy encouraged. "Besides, if the other son of Poseidon have a little extra energy, they can send a little burst of energy into the water to propel us forward faster."

"Why can't you?"

"Um...I can't control water that well," he replied slightly embarrassed. "I still need years of practice with that to get to a decent level."

"Sure, sure."

Percy returned his attention back to Atalanta who was patiently waiting for him. She must've been really bored. Who would want to talk to him that badly?

When they reached the prow of the _Argo_, each of them climbed up on a little platform that Argus had installed into the _Argo_. Without the platform, there would not be a clear view of what was ahead.

Percy glanced at Atalanta and saw something glittering in her hands. He knew he probably shouldn't have asked, but his curiosity took over. "What's that in your hands? Is that...jewellery?"

Atalanta closed her fist tighter and regarded him with a cool complexion. "There is nothing in my hands?"

"Then open them," he said.

Atalanta hesitated, eyeing Percy warily. For the first time, he noticed that she had brown eyes. Sure, he'd seen that she had dark brown hair, but he'd never looked at her eyes. They reminded of him of his mother, just as the dark brown hair did.

"This was a gift," Atalanta replied, shaking Percy out of his thoughts. He was too busy staring at her eyes to notice she revealed what was inside her closed fist. It was a necklace, one so beautiful that it must have been a royal gift. The entire chain was gold, gemstones cut and placed all along the chain. He saw an emerald, but that was the only gemstone he knew of. The other ones were so different; he'd never seen them before.

"Whoa," Percy marveled, staring at the necklace in wonder. "That's...beautiful. _Di immortales_."

"It is, isn't it?" Atalanta said sadly. "I love the rocks on here, though I do not really knew what they are. I know sardonyx and carnelian and emerald, but the others are unfamiliar to me."

"I haven't even seen those other two rocks before," he said. "Is it called _sirdawnyx_? And then _carnelian_?"

"The second one you got correct, but the first one is sardonyx, like _sar-daw-nyx_ or _sar-dn-yx_."

"_Sar-dn-yx_?"

"Something like that."

Percy touched the rocks on the necklace carefully, making sure that he didn't break it. "You said it was a gift. Who gave this to you?"

"Meleager, son of Oeneus and Althaea," she said quietly. The way she said his name made him think that maybe he meant more to her than just some random nobody. In fact, she seemed as though she...

"You love him, don't you," he concluded. By the sorrowful look on her face, he knew his guess was correct. "You said you were found by hunters, though. Hunters usually fall under Artemis' protection...and the way Orion treated her back in the old days... Is it safe to fall in love with someone, even if you really care for them?"

The daughter of Iasus shook her head, clearly troubled. "I do not know. You are much too young to understand what—"

"No, I'm not," he answered sincerely. "I have been through much more than a young child must endure. My life may not be as bad as if I were from Sparta, but I was poor with my mother. I watched her die in front of my eyes, and then I spoke with Chiron a lot. He is a wise centaur."

"There are things you do not know," she insisted. "Forget about the necklace. We have a job to do."

"Atalanta—"

"We have a job to do," she repeated.

Her previously open demeanor rapidly shifted in that little conversation, causing the situation to become sour. He understood that she wanted to keep that gift to herself, not wanting to share the details about her complicated situation, but it was okay to open up sometimes, right?

That was a huge issue for Percy. He had never been good at talking to people. Although he wasn't afraid of one-on-one conversations (even if he hated attention from larger crowds), he tended to say something that ticked people off. The only thing about that was the fact that he'd rarely talked to anybody besides Chiron, a tiny bit with his father, Jason, and a little bit of Theseus. That affected him greatly as his inexperience with being social caused difficulties between him and the person he was talking with.

Twice that had happened in a month, first with that girl in the bar, Rhodes, and now with Atalanta. He hoped he didn't mess things up with Atalanta. She was cool, and he kind of looked up to her as a female role-model. He could learn a couple of things about what women could do besides be wives, maids, mothers and slaves.

It was a tiring day, the _Argo_ reaching a point northeast of Athens, at least according to Ancaeus.

When Percy went to sleep, nightmares consumed his conscious, Morpheus deciding that Percy should get a good scare that night.

In his dreams, he was standing in a dark cave-like area, a disgusting river flowing next to him. His dream-self looked around, analyzing his surroundings. He took a few steps down the river and looked out at the vast kingdom that stood before him. The kingdom, so vast and mighty, stretched so far that Percy could not see the end with his naked eye. He saw the empty field that billions of spirits stood on, waiting endlessly for time and space to end. The Fields of Asphodel. His eyes trailed to the next field, where spirits who did crime in their life were sentenced to. The Fields of Punishment. Next to that was a much brighter place, a small city filled with happiness and joy. The Elysian Fields. In the straight, dead center of the Elysian Fields were three islands mushed together, and immediately, Percy knew that's where he wanted to go. The Isles of Blessed. In the middle of it all stood a giant black palace, a palace so eerie that Percy couldn't even describe it. The Palace of Hades.

He heard the shuffling of feet next to him and he turned.

A mortal was being dragged along by a beautiful woman, who just happened to have a sneer on her face. The mortal was whimpering, begging for mercy, but the woman would have none of it.

"You swore to me that you would never give your children up, protecting them at all costs," she growled. "You have betrayed your word."

"Please, Lady Styx—"

"There is nothing I can do," she said. "Once it is broken, consequences must occur."

Then she pushed the man into the River Styx, and Percy watched with horrid fascination as the man began burning up painfully and agonizingly until his essence was no more, his spirit washed away in the acidic waters of the River Styx.

The goddess turned to me. "A word for the wise, son of Poseidon. Be careful what you promise, for drastic consequences will ensue."

Then with a woosh, he was whisked away to another place, this time, a land above ground. It too was a kingdom, though less vast and more majestic than the dark palace of Hades.

It was a beautiful land, though it did not look like it was in Greece.

Curious, Percy explored the area, walking past beautiful rainbow-like gardens and beautiful statues of what he assumed were previous kings of the place. As he slowly reached the front of the palace, something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He'd seen something glittering, as Helios was halfway to midday.

Then he turned his vision just slightly and gasped. On an oak tree, not far but a safe distance from the palace, a drakon lay on the ground, its body wrapping around the tree. Then, on one of the branches, glittering ram's wool lay across it. The Golden Fleece.

Percy turned around to find a stern-looking girl staring at him, as if she could see him. She had long dark hair and looked a little bit younger than Jason, maybe Theseus' age. The young woman continued staring at him, which starting creeping him out. Why was the girl looking at him?

"Medea!" a man shouted, and the girl turned.

A man was standing ten paces behind her. He was wearing fancy clothing, so Percy assumed that this was either a royal family member or the king of Colchis himself.

"Coming, father," Medea said. She glanced at Percy one more time before turning to go follow her father. Percy watched as the two disappeared around the corner of the palace before a soft glow emanated from his own body. Surprised, he saw that his legs were disappearing into water vapor, sizzling away from his body. Slowly, he completely disappeared before all went black.

Before he could wake up, though, a demon appeared out of the darkness and hissed at him, scaring the "heebie-jeebies" out of him and waking him up from his dreams.

When he woke, he was alone in his room, his heart pounding at a million beats per minute.

* * *

Percy came above deck in all his glory, bags under his eyes and wearing dirty clothes. He rubbed his eyes as the sunlight was a little too much for him at this point. Percy went up to the helm where Tiphys and Ancaeus were studying the map.

They noticed the boy approaching and gave him weary smiles. "Good morning, Percy," greeted Tiphys.

"Have you been up all night?" the boy asked.

"Yes," replied Ancaeus, "to make sure that the boat stays on course. This may be a bireme, but we can steal one of the oars to steer at the back. It is tough because of the sheer weight of the boat; however, we are able to accomplish this feat. We put the oar back this morning when Jason woke up."

Percy nodded tiredly.

Ancaeus seemed to notice that Percy was really tired. "What is wrong, boy? Are you tired? If you are, you should get more sleep."

"No, no," he interjected. "I'm not tired. I'm—I just had a bad dream last night."

"What was it?"

"Nothing important."

Ancaeus nodded knowing very well that Percy did not want to talk about it. It only made the son of Poseidon feel worse. Why couldn't he shut his own mouth in situations like this?

"So," he said trying to change the subject, "where are we right now?"

"If we are on course, we will reach there hopefully just after midday," Ancaeus informed him.

Percy looked out at the ocean waters and confirmed that they were heading in a northwest direction at a very quick rate. He found it funny that he had ocean powers in being able to tell if something is right or wrong on sea, but controlling water came a little difficult to him. It was kind of ironic...in a way.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Percy asked.

"Throw the chip log off the stern and count to ten before pulling it back," Tiphys told him. "The chip log is that thing right there." He pointed to triangular piece of wood attached to a bunch of rope knotted at even intervals. "It's tied to the stern of the _Argo_, so don't worry about losing it."

Percy nodded and did his job. He grabbed the triangular piece of wood and tossed it over the stern of the ship.

"Don't forget to count the knots," Ancaeus reminded.

Percy found it difficult to count time and knots at the same time. He barely managed to do it, thinking he'd messed up on time and restarted. When he pulled the chip log back, he recounted the knots, confirming that there were eight knots that had passed in around ten seconds.

"Um, you two are stupid and made me count knots and time at the same time," Percy said. "But eight knots passed in around ten seconds. Could have been more."

"Eight knots, huh?" Tiphys regarded me with a curious look. "You think your father may have helped us overnight, in the dark? It would usually take around seven days by sea."

"Really?"

The man laughed. "I'm just joking around. It takes two days, my boy. With the extra boost from Poseidon the previous day, we should be there after midday, like Ancaeus informed."

"Cool," Percy said.

* * *

There wasn't much else to do on the ship, the older _Argonauts_ either rowing, sleeping, drinking, or eating. Even Atalanta began rowing, ignoring Percy. Her hatred toward him slowly drifted away as the day passed on, though it seemed she was not ready to forgive him yet for intruding on something she did not want to talk about.

Percy just stood at the bow, on the platform where he had temporarily severed his relationship with Atalanta, even if they had only been acquaintances. He stared at the open ocean water and pondered on the dream he'd had last night. Sure, he understood why Morpheus had shown him Colchis and the Golden Fleece, but why had he shown him Lady Styx punishing a man. That part confused him.

Would _he_ make a promise in the future that Morpheus was trying to hint to? Was Lady Styx warning him about a true event of the future, where Percy would make a promise, only to end up wanting to break that promise? He had millions of guesses, but he couldn't conclude as to why they wanted to show that to him. But there was that one part of him that said, _What if they do not mean you, but one close to you_?

Percy had a bad feeling about it all.

"Percy!" Jason suddenly called. He had just appeared on the main deck. "It's breakfast. Would you like something?"

"Anything, I'm starving."

They went down to the kitchen where someone had prepared eggs and pig slices. In no time, Percy gobbled the food down. He hadn't had dinner or lunch the previous day, so he had very little energy.

Until midday, he spoke with Jason in the kitchen about the Golden Fleece and how it was protected by a drakon. Jason seemed a little worried, but the son of Aeson stayed calm and told Percy that they would find a way to defeat that drakon.

A conch shell was blown when they saw Iolcus glimmering in the distance. Heracles, Theseus and Periclymenus raised the white flag, as the _Argo_ looked like a warship, even if there was only one. Percy noticed that giant crossbows had been attached to both sides of the ship, two in foredeck, two in aft.

"Jason?" he asked. "Why are there four giant crossbows—"

"Argus forgot that he had extra supplies that would be extra weight on the ship when he was securing the hull from the inside," Jason said, cutting him off. "Theseus suggested that we make weapons out of them. We made four crossbows and at least fifty giant javelins."

"Wow...how many extra supplies did he have?"

"A lot," Jason said. "If you ask me, I think it was Hera's doing. The way she initiated the building process of the _Argo_ means that she is helping us throughout this journey, I hope."

"I guess so."

The _Argo_ approached the port in Iolcus quickly, the port workers allowing the crew to disembark as the front of the ship hit the sand.

"Welcome to Iolcus, my fellow _Argonauts_," Jason said. "We should be leaving soon, as long as Pelias is foolish enough to allow us to go. Son of Zeus, please blend into the crowd so my uncle does not think we are attempting to have you do all the work."

Heracles shrugged when some of the crew sent pointed looks at him. "Yes, Jason."

Jason looked over the sea of _Argonauts_ standing before him. Percy caught his eye and nodded, giving the signal that he would take the rear of the group. Then the son of Aeson regarded his entire crew and led them in a march to the palace of Pelias, ready to head on the most exciting (and only) quest of his life.

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above and if any historical facts are actually wrong. I have spent my time looking through different websites, and even a couple of books, but the story that will continue may have incorrect historical info. Still, I believe it just adds to the effect.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	5. The Women of Lemnos

**Hey everyone,**

**First, I'd like to apologize for my terrible writing. I am not used to writing in third person, so I must get accustomed to it once again, though that will be a problem because my other story is in first person. Anyway, I'd like to announce that although some myths contradict with others, I may need to change the order in which historical myths took place to be able to fit the characters I want into the story.**

**Although the setting is ancient Greece, I will make the characters talk in English and informally, as if they were regular boys/men or girls/women in the modern world. It makes writing this a little bit easier, and the characters more relaxed than if they talked formally all the time.**

******I would like all of you avid readers to vote for the poll. That's right, there is a poll up on my profile page regarding this story. I believe that the idea is a little original, no popular FanFic about the original Quest for the Golden Fleece, at least that I know of. However, I am wondering whether you want me to write about the Trojan War as well. I am only asking your opinion because I know Anaklusmos14 is doing a FanFic about the Trojan War right at the moment along with his story _Intertwined Destinies_, and I do not want people to think I am ripping off his story. My personal vote is yes, but please put in your opinion. Thanks.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the story following.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**The Women of Lemnos**

Even though Pelias accepted that Jason was truly heading out to find the Golden Fleece, they had only been travelling for a day when he ordered a pit stop.

He'd apparently spotted an island in the distance and claimed that there was not enough food, that they needed more supplies. When Percy questioned Argus, the man hesitated before saying exactly what Jason said. Percy had an odd feeling about that island, something that told him the place did not seem right.

"I have a bad feeling about that place," he told Atalanta.

The daughter of Iasus stared out at the approaching land warily. "You are right. There is something odd about that island, an aura of the island almost. I sense...murder."

"How can you sense murder?"

"I do not mean it literally, but I have this feeling that something bad has occurred here," she said rolling her eyes. "Must you take everything so literally?"

Percy shrugged. "I guess it's just who I am."

Jason didn't change his mind once, even after pestering him about a bad feeling Percy had. His eyes were trained on the island so strenuously that it almost seemed like they were stuck at one point. Jason was quiet now, either admiring the beauty of the island or staring at it like it was going to be his death place.

"Lemnos," Ancaeus called out. "It sounds familiar, don't you think?"

Tiphys scratched his chin. "I think that's where Zeus threw Hephaestus to when he chucked the god off of Olympus. Am I right? My memory is a little fuzzy today."

"Yes," Jason replied stoically. "That is where Hephaestus landed when he was thrown off of Olympus." He stared at the island for another two seconds before turning to Tiphys. "Get to the port quick. We need food desperately."

"Alright," Tiphys nodded. He pulled out the conch shell and blew on it. A piercing sound echoed in the open sea, calling out to all the _Argonauts_. Tiphys and Ancaeus had developed a system of call when they were approaching land, or when they need help with the oars. One blast was for oars, and two blasts were for approaching land. First, Tiphys blew one long blast. He paused before blowing it twice. Then he paused again and repeated.

Within minutes, all of the _Argonauts_ had made their way above deck, either sightseeing or rowing. Most were looking in awe the island in front of us, a city now visible sitting atop a giant hill, like a grassland mesa. Despite the warning his gut was telling him, he couldn't help but admire the beautiful city, as if it had never been touched by any but its own people.

"Raise the white flag!" ordered Jason. Immediately, two twins began pulling on the rope that held the flag. They raised the white flag of surrender. The twins had an interesting story, a story that they had told him the night previous.

Castor and Polydeuces were their names, but only Polydeuces was the son of a god, not his twin brother. Considering Theseus was only half the son of Poseidon, Percy didn't find that too hard to believe. Castor's father was some mortal king, and their mother was a mortal queen. Polydeuces told him that although being a demigod son of Zeus was fun, he often missed the chance to do things with his mortal twin because of their differences. Castor laughed about it and joked around that he'd be jealous of Polydeuces' divine powers all the time, but in truth, he was completely fine with it, feeling that it didn't take away from their relationship much. The only thing that Polydeuces could that he couldn't was control lightning. Polydeuces was no Heracles.

"The island of Lemnos, huh?" asked Periclymenus. "Never been there."

"I wonder if they have good poetry and music there," Orpheus mused. The son of Apollo had, in fact, joined their quest, even if Percy didn't realize it.

Last night, he'd actually talked to quite a few of the men, getting to learn their names and bit of their backgrounds.

There were Heracles, Theseus, Castor, Polydeuces, Orpheus, Periclymenus, Argus, Tiphys and Atalanta; but also more that he talked to. He met Calais and Zetes, sons of Boreas, the North Wind. Percy figured that this meant Boreas was going to help them when they got further north. Percy also met Hylas, a youth companion to Heracles. He looked young, a little bit younger than Atalanta, but older that Percy. He then met Polyphemus, though not the Cyclops. This Polyphemus was the son of Elatus, who was a chieftain in Thessaly. He also met Mopsus, who was a seer. He was the son of a nymph, making him a demigod. Mopsus never clarified who his mother was, but he guessed that it was Chloris. Percy then met Eurytus, a son of Hermes. Euphemus was next, the man Percy's brother. He had no water superpowers aside from being able to walk on water, just like Orion had been gifted with. The meeting with Euphemus left a bitter taste in Percy's mouth. Iolaus was Heracles' nephew. There was not much else to say about him other than the fact that he was just as brave, that being the only similarity between the two. The last man Percy had men that night was Peleus. Peleus was the son of Aeacus, a king of the island Aegina. He claimed that he and his brother Telamon, who was also on this journey, were good friends of Heracles.

Either way, they were all headed toward the island of Lemnos on orders by Jason without any hesitation. Percy's gut feeling only grew more intense as the _Argo_ sailed closer to the port of Lemnos.

"Shouldn't we have packed enough food to last us a little while?" Percy asked Argus. "Why are we allowing Jason to just lead us to a place none of us know about?"

"He is our leader and—"

"Screw that," Percy growled. "Fine, I'll talk to him myself."

The son of Poseidon walked up to Jason, who was still glancing out at the island of Lemnos, and tapped him on the shoulder. When Jason turned to Percy, the boy made an outburst. "What are you doing, Jason? Stopping at an island when we clearly _do_ have enough supplies to feed ourselves. Athena would not be that stupid."

Jason regarded his friend with cold eyes. "Percy. I need to stop at this island. There's something here..."

He trailed off and looked back at the island. This just made Percy all the more angry. "Jason! Stop looking at that place! I sense danger there. It cannot be safe."

The son of Aeson turned on Percy. With an almost anomalous look in his eyes, he punched Percy straight across the face, making the boy taste blood inside his own mouth. "You know nothing," snapped Jason. "You are only a ten-year-old boy and have yet to see the true world. I—I'm sorry, Percy. But there is something here that must be found before we leave. I admit, I had a dream last night, a lovely lady's voice telling me to stop here. It must be one of the gods."

Percy was still on the ground, completely shocked that Jason, his long-time friend, punched him hard across his jaw. He could taste the blood in his mouth, that almost metallic taste that it had. The boy clutched his mouth, his eyes aghast, his entire body trembling.

They had been friends for years, yet in one night, a "lovely lady" changes that, making the son of Aeson punch him. "You—you punched me, Jason."

There was no response.

"You've never hurt me on purpose before," Percy said, tears beginning to form in his eyes. "We...we were like family. What happened to you?"

"Responsibility, leadership," he replied. "You must stay strong in front of your troops no matter how much you want to cry or break down. It is also a part of being a man. I'm growing up, Percy. I will still talk to you, but I just need some time off on my own. To recollect my thoughts for going forward."

Anger rose up again through Percy's veins, and a wave roared in his ears. Percy got up, ignoring everyone's shocked looks, pushed his way through the crowd, and made his way back to his room, lying on the cold, hard floor to weep his soul out.

"A goddess changed him," Percy muttered. "That's not really Jason. A goddess is just manipulating his mind. He wouldn't grow past me that quickly."

He spent the next couple of hours trying to convince himself that Jason was not actually in control of his actions at the moment, but to no avail. The way Jason had punched him hard enough to make his teeth cut the inside lining of his cheek and the way Jason had spoken to him as if Jason were his superior by many ranks, as if it were his father speaking to my mother.

Anger continued roaring in his ears until he passed out, exhausted from weeping and, to his surprise, rocking the boat with small swells of waves.

* * *

"Percy," a distant and mysterious voice said. "Wake up, Percy."

His eyes snapped open and before he was fully awake, he had Atalanta pinned to the floor, her neck under his forearm. He was about to get up and apologize when something crashed into his stomach, making him double over. Then he yelped as he was thrown back down to the ground. He felt a firm foot on his stomach.

"You have nice reflexes," Atalanta complimented. "But you still have quite a ways to go in terms of hand-to-hand combat."

"Sorry for attacking you...your voice just sounded mysterious and I thought you might have been someone coming to murder me in my sleep," Percy apologized.

"If I wanted to murder you in your sleep, I wouldn't have called your name," she said.

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Right. Of course."

The fifteen-year-old girl helped him up, brushing the dust off of his already dirty tunic. Then she brushed off her own tunic. He couldn't help but notice that she was wearing men's clothing. He wasn't sure if it was just better for hunting or if she felt more comfortable in it, but it must have been styled perfectly for her. Atalanta was much slimmer than the average fifteen-year-old male, so the male-styled clothing had to be slimmed down by a lot.

"So, why did you wake me up?" Percy asked.

"The _Argonauts_ are overly obsessed with women," she said darkly. "I have nothing to do as the quest has been halted for the time being."

"Wait, what do you mean they're overly obsessed with women?" he asked. "And you're an _Argonaut_ as well."

"The citizens of Lemnos, they welcomed us to their land with kindness and expensive gifts," Atalanta explained. "I'm not sure why, but every single citizen I saw at the port, at the beach, were all women. Every single one of them. Now...well..."

"Well, what?"

"It is not appropriate to tell younger children," she said, obviously hinting at what was happening so she would not have to say it out loud. Percy got what she was trying to hint at.

"Oh..._that_." He looked awkwardly at the ground. "Everyone?"

She shook her head. "Not everyone, but the majority of the crew. The only ones who have stayed are Heracles, Periclymenus, Argus and Theseus. Even Ancaeus and Tiphys left. I tried talking to Heracles, Periclymenus, Argus and Theseus, but all of our conversations ended up in silence. Then Theseus suggested that I come get you. Since, I'm bored, I agreed."

Percy stood there thinking about the majority of the crew heading off onto the island of Lemnos, not caring about whether the place could be dangerous. It was a foolish move by Jason, some goddess affect his decisions. Percy wondered if truly, as the quest continued, that his ties with Jason would become severed. Maybe it would just be that Jason was having a lot of stress and just needed a timeout on Lemnos. He could never be sure, though. Jason would never have punched him, hypnotized or not. The son of Aeson _had_ to have some kind of self-restriction.

"Alright, I'll come with you."

Atalanta led Percy to the eating room downstairs where Theseus, Heracles, Periclymenus and Argus were sitting around the table in awkward silence, seemingly waiting for my arrival.

When they heard footsteps approaching, they all looked up toward Atalanta and Percy. Theseus smiled. "Hey, Percy. How has life been going?"

"Only ten years under my tunic, Theseus," Percy sighed. "I still have a long way to go."

"That you do, my friend," Theseus admitted. "That you do."

Silence began enveloping the group at the table once again. Percy looked down at the table awkwardly, tapping his finger at a random beat against it. Theseus just looked around at everyone, not saying a word. Heracles cleared his throat, but just leaned back in his chair. Argus was blinking a lot and yawned once in a while. Periclymenus was tapping his feet on the floor. Atalanta was the first to speak.

"Well, this is just as boring as before," she said.

Everyone grumbled in assent.

"Well, why don't we talk about...Heracles' labours?" Percy suggested. "I mean, it would be cool to learn about what he did, even if it does revolve only around him."

The others shared multiple looks. When they all turned back to him, Percy shifted nervously. They stared at him piercingly, as if they were all ready to attack him. But then they all shrugged. "Better than nothing," Theseus said.

"Hey, Heracles," Periclymenus said. "What labours _have_ you done? I've heard that you did a few so far, but what were they?"

Heracles sighed. "Slay the Nemean lion, slay the Lernaean hydra, capture the Golden Hind of Artemis, and capture the Erymanthian Boar." The son of Zeus gave me a stern look to signify not to tell the others about the Garden of the Hesperides.

"And you completed them all?" Argus asked baffled.

The hero nodded.

All of the males and _girl_ at the table found those feats very impressive. To complete even one of those feats would be a huge accomplishment, not to mention four of them. They all knew that the quest for the Golden Fleece was a huge and dangerous task, but Heracles' labours were supposed to be impossible. At least, that was the way they seemed to Percy.

"How did you defeat the Nemean lion?" Theseus asked.

"Well, let's see." Heracles furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "Well, the quest was given by my cousin King Eurystheus. He told me to slay the Nemean lion, so I went to do my quest, desperate to repay for the damage done to my first family. I wandered around Greece in search of the lion until I came to the town of Cleonae. I met a boy who said if I slew the beast and returned alive within thirty days, the town would sacrifice a lion to Zeus, but if I did not return within thirty days or died, the boy would sacrifice himself to Zeus. A bold young boy, he was. So, I set off and found the Nemean lion. On my way, I made arrows to use against the Nemean lion, not knowing that its golden fur was impenetrable. When I found the Nemean lion, I shot the arrows at it. I quickly learned that the fur was impenetrable after they bounced harmlessly off its thigh."

"That must have been difficult to cope with," Atalanta noted.

Periclymenus raised an eyebrow at her. "_Difficult to cope with_? By the gods, if he wasn't the strongest hero alive he would have been killed. A skin that is impenetrable...I have no words for you."

"Actually, the girl is right," Heracles said to a now-pouting Periclymenus. "There is a weakness of the Nemean lion that any man would be able to figure out." Atalanta coughed and then cleared her throat. "Um, any man or _woman_ would be able to figure out. Its mouth, when it roars, is exposed to arrow fire. I did not actually kill the lion using arrows; however, I learned that it was a weak spot when one of my arrows entered its mouth as it roared. The stupid creature's eyes bulged out in pain. It was too obvious. The tricky part about that strategy would be to get the creature to open its mouth."

"Yeah, that would be difficult," Percy agreed. "I'd never be able to do that."

"You see, there were two entrances to the cave the Nemean lion resided in," the son of Zeus explained. "So, I threw away the bow and arrow knowing I would not be able to shoot the beast in the mouth. As a last result, I fled to rethink my strategy. The two entrances gave me an idea. I found a huge boulder and blocked one of the cave entrances. In the dark, I crept in and stunned the beast with my club. I dropped my weapon and strangled the beast to death, crushing its windpipe. I brought its carcass out into the sunlight where I attempted to skin it with a knife from my belt. It didn't work. When I realized that its impenetrable fur was still impenetrable after its death, I ingeniously thought to use its own claw against it. I skinned the pelt of the beast with its own claw and turned it into armor. It has been very useful."

He tore a part of his tunic to show us that he was wearing the lion's fur at this very moment.

"_You_ thought to use its own claw to skin the pelt?" Theseus questioned.

"Yes, I did."

"Wow."

"What about the Lernaean hydra?" Argus asked.

"Wait, what about the boy? What happened to him?" Percy interjected.

"The boy's town sacrificed a lion to my father, then I returned to my cousin to deliver the fruits of my labours."

"_Now_, what about the Hydra," Argus repeated.

"Let's see, the Hydra..." Heracles trailed off trying to remember what had happened. Then the light bulb went off in his head. "Ah, yes. My nephew Iolaus helped me with that. At first, I could not beat the beast. Every time I would cut one head off, the stump would grow two more heads back. It was extremely frustrating seeing all of the heads grow back. So then, I called for my nephew Iolaus. He came up with the idea of using a firebrand to scorch the neck stumps after each decapitation."

"What are firebrands?" Percy asked.

Everyone stared at him.

"What? I don't know what a firebrand is, okay?"

"It is a stick of wood that is lit with fire," Heracles answered.

Percy's mouth made a perfect O.

"Continuing on, Iolaus thought of cauterizing the open stumps, so we tried that idea. After I cut off each head of the Hydra, he would burn each of the stumps. The rest of the battle was easy from that point on. A large crab was sent to attack me, but I crushed it with my foot. Before I was able to cut off the Hydra's last head, Athena spoke to me in my head, telling me that the head was immortal and I would need to use a certain golden sword to kill the beast. When I refocused, I had a golden sword in my hand, the help from the goddess I was grateful for. On the way back to Eurystheus' palace, I placed the immortal head under a rock, before dipping my arrows in the Hydra's poisonous blood."

"So, Iolaus was the one that basically killed the Hydra as he came up with the idea of burning the heads," Percy concluded.

The son of Zeus scowled at him. "Iolaus helped, but I killed it. I was the one to cut off its immortal head."

Percy frowned at the sudden defensive tone in the young man's voice, but didn't say anything.

"What else do you want to talk about?"

* * *

It wasn't until the first month was over until the five of them got angry. It wasn't until the fifth month until they got suspicious.

During the first few months, they'd expected that in turn for food, the King of Lemnos, whoever he was, had made the others serve him for an extended period of time. Food would slowly be brought back to the _Argo_ once in a while, but Jason and the other _Argonauts_ were rarely seen. Heracles, Theseus, Periclymenus, Argus, Atalanta and Percy spent most of that time either on the _Argo_ or on the beach helping tutor the son of Poseidon with his water powers, even if they couldn't do it themselves.

When four months passed, Heracles decided that he would go into town to check on what the other _Argonauts_ were actually doing. Percy agreed with the idea, saying that they should go into the city to check things out, but Heracles stopped them, saying that he should go alone, just in case of anything dangerous "things" around.

Heracles never specified what "things" meant, but Percy was a little too scared of Heracles to find out.

Instead, Percy resorted to training with Theseus about his water powers.

"Control your inner-self, Percy," the son of Aegeus advised. "Think of the waves, calm yourself down. And shut up Periclymenus."

Percy closed his eyes and thought about the water, an element so strong that it could carve its way through solid rocks. At least, that's what Theseus told him. He never doubted his father, the sea god a powerful deity, but he was pretty sure water could not carve through rocks.

Percy felt power surge in him, as if the water was a part of him. He'd been practicing controlling water for four months and a few days, trying to raise it out of the ocean. He had grown drastically in terms of his powers, going from being able to calm water to almost controlling it. The son of Poseidon exhaled soothingly, raising his hand slowly.

"That's great, Percy," Theseus complimented. "Keep going. You'll feel tired and strained, but it is all a part of the process."

Theseus himself couldn't control water or do anything regarding water, even though he was half the son of the sea god; however, the son of Aegeus and Poseidon was a fairly intelligent and bright young man. Percy could see Theseus becoming a hero one day.

Then the effort of controlling the water began wearing down on Percy. He felt his energy slowly draining, his arm getting heavy. He concentrated harder, though. He put all of the effort he could muster into controlling the water, focusing on the endless power of the ocean. The strain spread past his arm and through his abdomen down to his legs. Following Theseus' advice, he held his ground, gritting his teeth as his muscles began aching.

"Have a strong will and you will be able to accomplish whatever you desire," Atalanta said. "That is something that I have learned hunting for my own food in the wilderness."

Percy felt a tugging sensation in his gut before it popped and a small ball of water emerged from the ocean. His eyes widened and he let go. The ball of water splashed back into the water, but he turned around to his companions with an excited look on his face. "I did it! I controlled a little bit of water!"

"Congratulations," Theseus smiled. "Now, you just have to keep practicing to get good at it."

Percy's face fell. "I forgot about that."

"Don't worry," Atalanta said. "What I said was something I valued greatly throughout my life. A strong will defeats power any day. It even helps when in battle. When you don't give up, even when hopelessly outmatched, fighting even when wounded, it well eventually frustrate your opponent, causing them to fight recklessly."

"Wise words," Periclymenus nodded. "Not that I would have come up with something even half as wise as that. Did you, by any chance, also get tutored by Athena?"

The huntress shook her head. "No."

"Well..."

Percy spoke up after the grandson of Poseidon trailed off. "Do you ever wonder what Jason is really doing on this island? He said he got a dream from a 'lovely lady.' Do you think that may be Aphrodite trying to stray us off from the course for the Golden Fleece? I mean, the Fleece _is_ in a sacred grove of her boyfriend."

"I do not know," Argus sighed. After the fourth month he admitted that Jason paid him a lot of drachma to not tell the _Argonauts_ about Jason coming to this island because of a goddesses will, though Percy had already guessed that it was a goddesses doing. "Jason is making a grave mistake, though. We have been slaving on this island for months."

"Remember, the only other possibility for them is that they have to serve the king," Theseus reminded them. "If not...I fear that we have a huge problem on our hands."

"Yes, yes," Percy waved off. "We remember."

"I still can't believe we stayed even though we had a feeling that this island is dangerous." Atalanta shook her head disbelievingly.

"We can't just leave them behind," Percy countered. "This is all for Jason. If we leave him here, it will not end well for him."

"So what? I came on this quest to train and gain more experience in dangerous quests," Atalanta retorted. "I did not come to wait while men do things to women. The reports that Tiphys tell me..." The daughter of Iasus shivered remembering a gross thought.

"Well, maybe Heracles may be coming back with some information regarding the island of Lemnos," Argus said. "You never know. He may have found a—"

"Theseus!" a voice boomed from down the beach. "We have a problem, a _huge_ problem."

The four of them turned their heads to the approaching son of Zeus. He was running in his leather-laced sandals as if he'd run from the other side of the island...which he probably could have done. He had a wild look in his eyes, like ghosts had haunted him in broad daylight. But even Percy, the young ten-year-old he was, could tell something was seriously wrong.

"Heracles?"

"We have a big problem," the son of Zeus repeated.

"Hold up, Heracles," Argus said, holding a hand up. "What _is_ our problem exactly? And does it have anything to do with Jason?"

Heracles held a finger up, signaling for them to wait while he caught his breath. Even the mightiest of heroes got tired. After he caught his breath, he told the others of his amazing and horrifying discovery.

"All the citizens of Lemnos, everywhere I've gone, there is not a single man who is not an _Argonaut_."

Atalanta frowned. "What do you mean 'there is not a single man who is not an _Argonaut_'? There are men everywhere throughout Greece."

"Apparently not here." Heracles stretched his neck.

"That could be the serious danger you two were talking about," Theseus told Percy and Atalanta.

Percy's brain tried working out what was happening. The fact that there were no men on this island made the alarm bell in his head go off wailing. He swallowed, fear slowly creeping up his bones.

"We have to figure out why, first." Theseus said exactly what Percy was thinking.

"Yeah," agreed the son of Poseidon. "We have to figure out why there are only women on this island."

* * *

"What happened?" Heracles growled at the woman who had collapsed on the floor.

"Don't hurt her!" Percy shouted.

"What happened?!" the son of Zeus roared, making the woman in front of him shake with fear.

"It was years ago!" she finally admitted.

It was a painstaking day, but they had to resort to threatening a woman to figure out what had happened. There were no willing women of Lemnos to tell the story of what had happened to all of the men on the island. Heracles got frustrated and threw the last woman we'd met to the ground.

"What happened all those years ago?" interrogated Heracles.

The woman was deathly pale. Her body shook with fear and seemingly pain. "The men on this island, when I was just a young woman, growing into womanhood from being a girl, deserted all of their wives for Thracian women. I had no part of it, but Hypsipyle, our queen led the women to revenge. They murdered all of the men on the island. Since then, we have cherished every man who has stayed on this island. Your men, the ones in the palace, have been very nice in helping repopulate our lands."

Percy stared at her in disgust, and Theseus in outrage. "You keep us on this gods-forsaken island for six months and _now_ we learn that you _murdered_ all of your husbands. Your people are sick and twisted."

The woman looked close to tears. "I'm sorry, my lord. I had no part of the murders, I swear to Lady Styx. Please do not hurt me."

Thunder rumbled in the distance.

Argus put a hand on Theseus' shoulder. "Calm down, boy." He then turned to the woman. "He does not mean you specifically. He is just angry, and you are the closest one he can take his anger out on. But the barbarous act inflicted by your superiors is something that is unforgivable."

Theseus' anger melted. "I'm so sorry. But to learn that the older of your kind murdered so many men in cold blood like that..."

The woman blinked hard and attempted to smile. "I accept your apology, my lord."

Percy wrinkled his nose remembering what she'd said about helping repopulating Lemnos. "And are our crew only being kept to, you know, repopulate."

For the first time, she seemed to notice the young ten-year-old boy. "Oh. Ah, no. Did I say anything about repopulation? I—"

"You do not have to lie for my sake," Percy said. "I think teaching younger boys and girls about how the real world is prepares them to face what is to come. Protecting them will just make them less knowledgeable about the problem and causing them to dig holes when trying to avoid it. There is another line, though. Getting them too involved may influence them to be a part of the problem rather than the solution."

The woman opened her mouth, but Theseus interrupted. "My teachings. And Chiron's."

Her eyes widened. "Like the centaur who helped Artemis and Apollo when they were young gods?"

Theseus nodded.

"I'm sorry to interrupt this _wonderful_ conversation, but we must be going," Heracles said. "We need to get our crew back."

"Good luck," the woman said.

They quickly parted ways and made their way to the palace. Heracles was at the lead while Argus brought the sweep. Percy gulped when they reached the front gates of the palace, not sure what the leader, Hypsipyle, would think when they claimed the _Argonauts_ as leaving. He would leave the speaking to the son of Zeus.

The guards let us through the gate, assuming we were a part of the _Argonauts_. They gave Atalanta strange looks, but eventually let her pass through without any interrogation done to them.

They reached the throne room where all of the _Argonauts_ were standing around, like sheep waiting for the herder. Percy wondered what they were all doing in there, but it seemed like a special occasion or something, around the same number of women on the other side of the giant throne room.

The sudden entrance of the five heroes caused at least a hundred heads to turn their way.

"Is that Heracles?" one of the women gasped.

"What are you doing here?" Jason appeared out of the crowd. He was wearing fancy robes, almost like royal robes. They actually looked fitting on him. His expression was daring, his eyes slightly glazed.

"To come and get you back," the son of Zeus replied. "We've been slaving on this gods-damned island for six months, Jason. We thought at first, because we never came into the city, that you were doing deeds for the king. But we've now learned the truth, why there were no men on this island before we arrived."

A beautiful woman stepped out of the crowd next to Jason. "What are you talking about? Don't listen to him," she told Jason. "He doesn't know what he's talking about."

"You want to listen to our story first, Jason?" asked Theseus. "Would you rather trust some woman you met six months ago or your friends you have known for years?"

The son of Aeson hesitated. "Why are there no men on Lemnos?"

"Because _they_—" Heracles pointed at Hypsipyle "—murdered every single one of their husbands after they deserted them for Thracian women."

"We had good reason," Hypsipyle snarled. "Our husbands deserted us."

"And so you found it fitting to _murder every single one of them_?" Theseus growled. "I wouldn't think so. Come on, Jason. Let's get out of here."

Hypsipyle grabbed Jason's hand. "You cannot leave, Jason. What of our newborn?"

"Jason," Percy called. "The Quest for the Golden Fleece. The _Argo_. Remember Iolcus? Your throne? The one you wanted to get back?"

Hypsipyle growled in an unladylike way. "Kill those five intruders," she ordered, clearly agitated at our interruption of what seemed to be an important event.

Guards suddenly appeared behind them holding spears. They would have struck before any one of them would have had their weapons out when a lion suddenly appeared out of nowhere and stood in front of us protectively.

"What the—"

Percy stared at the animal incredulously, his friends almost ready to kill the beast. But Percy had this gut feeling...

"Wait!" he told his friends. "I don't think that's any wild animal."

"I said kill them!" Hypsipyle growled.

Hesitantly, the guards approached, and the lion roared. The lion swept at the guards, sending them flying across the room, both to opposite directions. The lion suddenly began shrinking until it was the size of a human, then it grew humanly features, turning into the one and only Periclymenus.

"I forgot to show you me gift, Percy," the young man said. "There you are. My gift from Poseidon, the blood of Pylos."

For a few seconds, everyone stared at Periclymenus in shock, not knowing he had those powers. Percy had his jaw dropped in shock. He remembered Periclymenus saying something about a special power, but he didn't expect it to be something as powerful as this.

"Jason, you must come back to the quest," Argus pleaded. "Remember Hera? The glory you will receive by her account will make you the most famous hero and king throughout all of Greece. The kings of the east will bow down before you. Think of what the Queen of the Gods can give you?"

"You risk death to gain popularity," Hypsipyle countered. "Stay here, and become known as the great king of Lemnos."

"If you do not come with us now, we will take the _Argo_ and leave without you, without _all_ of you!" Heracles threatened.

Jason's face suddenly seemed to snap out of a trance and darkened. "I must get back to my quest."

"But Jason—"

"Thank Aphrodite for making you fall in love with me," he regarded coldly. "Come, _Argonauts_. We have a journey to partake in!"

The men all cheered.

"It was a trance by Aphrodite." Percy cursed using the worst words he could think of. "The goddess of love, my arse."

"More like the goddess of annoyance and stupidity," Heracles muttered.

"You cannot leave!" Hypsipyle fell to her knees and begged for Jason to stay. "If you do, I will promise to send my army after you on your way back to your ship."

"Then _we_ will have no choice but to burn this entire city down," the son of Aeson retorted.

They locked eyes with each other, both of them daring the other, when suddenly a hulking figure ran up and kicked Hypsipyle to the other side of the room. A ram went and knocked over the other women around.

"Let's go!" Theseus shouted and led the _Argonauts_ out of the front door.

Percy ran up to Jason and tapped his shoulder, the son of Aeson looking at the crumpled body of Hypsipyle. "Come on, Jason. It will all be fine."

He looked down at his long-time friend. "I hope it will. And I'm sorry about my attitude. Aphrodite's influence. I _may_ have dissed her a couple years ago."

"Well, then you're stupid. Let's go."

Jason nodded and ran out the doors to the throne room. Percy called for Heracles and Periclymenus to return, the latter a little bit tired. Together, with Atalanta and Argus, they ran down the palace steps and through the city, where the _Argonauts_ were repelling raids of Lemnian militia.

"Faster! Faster!" Jason shouted.

Heracles caught up to Jason, grabbing the son of Aeson's shoulder. "When we get back to the ship, you have a lot of explaining to do."

The six of them pushed the _Argonauts_ forward, Heracles checking the back to make sure no one attacked from that flank. They made their way to the _Argo_ quickly, the Lemnians allowing them free passage after the damage done to their home. Quickly, Tiphys and Ancaeus got to the helm and ordered the crew to row backwards, to get the _Argo_ off the beach.

Launch was quick, and in no time, they were out at sea.

As soon as they began sailing away from the island, Heracles came up to Jason and scowled. "What were you thinking back six months ago? Actually, what were you thinking your entire life? That Aphrodite thing must have meant that you've really pissed her off, if she doesn't want you to continue on your quest."

Jason kept calm, even under the intense stare of the much larger man. "I _may_ have dissed her."

The son of Zeus snarled. "_May_ have dissed her, my arse. You made us think that you had to serve the king of Lemnos to get the food. Only when the fourth month passed, we started getting suspicious. Then Argus says you paid him drachma to shut up about it. We bothered to sit back for another month before we come to find that there are only women on that island."

"I'm sorry," snapped an angry-looking son of Aeson. "It isn't my fault that the gods are temperamental!"

Heracles sneered at Jason before walking downstairs, most likely towards the kitchen and eating room.

Percy just shook his head at his friend. "You didn't have to be stupid back then and make fun of Aphrodite. The gods hear almost everything that includes their name. You should know that they believe they are the most powerful deities, thinking that all mortals are below their level. I forgive you, but we'd better not make the gods any more angry. It is winter now, and our journey will just be that much harder."

Jason nodded stiffly before walking to the side of the bireme and staring out into the water.

Argus patted my arm. "Come, Percy." The boy turned to the older man. "You should get some rest. You look very tired and the practice with controlling water must have worn down on you at least a little bit."

Percy rubbed his eyes and stretched his arms. "You're right, Argus. If anyone calls for me, tell them I am in my room."

Then the son of Poseidon trudged off to sleep, preparing for the dangers of the actual quest.

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above and if any historical facts are actually wrong. I have spent my time looking through different websites, and even a couple of books, but the story that will continue may have incorrect historical info. Still, I believe it just adds to the effect.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	6. Stupid Mistakes

**Hey everyone,**

**First, I'd like to apologize for my terrible writing. I am not used to writing in third person, so I must get accustomed to it once again, though that will be a problem because my other story is in first person. Anyway, I'd like to announce that although some myths contradict with others, I may need to change the order in which historical myths took place to be able to fit the characters I want into the story.**

**Although the setting is ancient Greece, I will make the characters talk in English and informally, as if they were regular boys/men or girls/women in the modern world. It makes writing this a little bit easier, and the characters more relaxed than if they talked formally all the time.**

**I would like all of you avid readers to vote for the poll. That's right, there is a poll up on my profile page regarding this story. I believe that the idea is a little original, no popular FanFic about the original Quest for the Golden Fleece, at least that I know of. However, I am wondering whether you want me to write about the Trojan War as well. I am only asking your opinion because I know Anaklusmos14 is doing a FanFic about the Trojan War right at the moment along with his story _Intertwined Destinies_, and I do not want people to think I am ripping off his story. My personal vote is yes, but please put in your opinion. Thanks.**

**This chapter was just a short summary of what happened in between the island of Lemnos and the famous "Clashing Rocks." Sorry if things happen too bluntly, but this is mostly a transition chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the story following.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Stupid Mistakes**

The winds were slow, the men were tired, and they were heading at a crawling pace.

Percy had spent most of the couple of days since leaving Lemnos to practice his water powers, trying to control the water around the boat. This time, the ball of water he controlled was larger, not by much but larger. He found it okay that they were heading at a crawling pace as there was more time for him to reflect on his journey. A secret that no one knew aside from Jason and Chiron...he could write. He couldn't draw but he could write.

He wrote small summaries of the day's events on a small scroll of papyrus.

At one point during their adventure east, they'd spotted an island in the distance. The only problem about that was not the fact that Jason wanted to stop on that island, but the fact that the _Argo_ would not budge from its spot. The men had been given a break by Jason, but the lack of wind could not compensate and they were essentially sitting in the middle of the ocean like an anchor.

Percy still went on with his daily activities as usual, even if Heracles and Jason were beginning to argue much more often. Even though he felt as if Heracles would destroy the _Argo_ by unleashing a powerful thunderbolt, he still practiced controlling water, while learning new ways to sword fight from Theseus. The new techniques were not necessarily better than what he knew, but if he could fuse them with what he already knew...

Theseus taught him how to counter the disarming move he'd learned. The trick was to be a well-rounded soldier and know how to fight without a sword or shield temporarily. It was a fairly simple counter, but it wouldn't always work. The way was when you were disarmed, quickly strike the other person's sword hand with the trailing leg. The nerve right on one's wrist had to be hit in order for that to work. Either that, or they had to be quick to flee from battle.

After what seemed to be hours, the men got back to rowing and the island began approaching them quickly. Jason ordered a lookout to see whether the island was a bad place or not, like Lemnos was.

As Jason and Percy watched the island as they passed by, someone came up to them from behind. "Sir. I believe that island is Imbros."

"Imbros?" The _Argonaut_ nodded. "Another one of Hephaestus' worshippers. That island was close to where he landed. I don't think we should land there."

Percy squinted to look at the shore of the beach. He swore that he saw something. Percy turned to Jason. "Jason, I saw something on shore. Should we sail past, just in case it is something important. We don't have to land."

"Do you not sense danger?"

"I sense danger, but we must at least check it out," Percy said. "Chiron used to check every single detail when we hiked through the forests."

"Well, I suppose he did," Jason agreed. He turned to the men. "Left side halt! Right side continue! We're headed to sail by the coast of Imbros. We've caught sight of something that may be important."

"Halt!" the man in the front of the left-side rowers repeated.

All of the men on the left side lifted their paddles out of the water. The men on the right continued paddling. Slowly, the _Argo_ turned in a wide arc, looping ninety degrees before Jason ordered the left side to start paddling again. The _Argo_ stopped turning and it went straight. When the bireme got closer to the shore, he ordered the right side to paddle backwards for a sharper turn. They'd lose their momentum, but they needed to go slowly anyways.

When the _Argo_ became parallel to the coast, Jason ordered the men to slowly paddle forward, the bireme cruising along. Percy could now see what was glinting. The trees had obstructed most of their view from further away, but now, at a close-up view, he could see the village behind the trees. What he'd seen from further out in the ocean were men trying to wave the ship down.

"Sir!" a man shouted from just down the beach. "Sir! What are you doing?"

Jason knit his eyebrows. "We're headed east. Why?"

"Be careful," the man warned. "I assume you are headed for the Euxine Sea. When you arrive at Hellespont, Laomedon's fleet will be there, guarding the passage."

"Laomedon?" Jason questioned.

He nodded. "He is the feared king of Troy, a majestic land of the east. He will guard Hellespont."

"What is Hellespont?" Percy asked.

The son of Aeson turned to him. "Hellespont is a point on maps where Helle fell off as she and Phrixus rode the golden ram. Phrixus then sacrificed the ram and hung the Golden Fleece in Colchis. That is the story. It didn't happen long ago." Jason turned back to the man. "Thank you for the kind warning."

The man smiled in appreciation. "It is not a problem, sir. We have seen many go by to never return. There is no way back to Greece without passing through this area, around Troy."

The warning was taken seriously, and both Percy and Jason were grateful. Indeed, there were ships guarding Hellespont that flew a non-Hellenic flag. It featured a horse, which was actually the symbol of Poseidon. However, it was a well known fact that Poseidon cared much for Athens, and although Athena won the battle, he also blessed the city.

Jason made peace with Laomedon's fleet, not wanting to engage in battle. The king of Troy himself was there. He and Jason talked, agreeing on terms that Jason would be allowed free passage if guided to a safe distance away from Troy. Apparently, the Trojans were paranoid, much like Zeus.

The real challenge was a little later. The winds had picked up as they were escorted through Hellespont, and so Jason ordered for the sails to rise. A sudden squall blew the _Argo _toward a rocky shore just past Hellespont after the Trojan ships had disappeared. The hull of the bireme scraped at the rocks, and Percy and Atalanta were sent to check on it. There was a leak, Percy could say for sure, but it wasn't bad. Water was not pooling on the floor, the rocking of the boat making the water spread all over the lower deck.

When Atalanta reported to Jason, he ordered for a stop at the nearest city they saw near at the coast.

"We need to patch up that leak," Argus said. "But I can't patch it up when the boat is still on the water. I will need to take out that entire plank, which in turn would flood the entire bottom deck and make the _Argo_ sink into the bottom of the ocean."

The leak caused a little bit of panic amongst the crew, but Jason managed to keep everyone under control. Percy tried slowing the leak down, but couldn't keep it up for very long. Heracles couldn't even temporarily stop it. Water would squeeze through his hands when he tried.

"Day three after leaving Lemnos," Percy mumbled as he scribbled on the scroll. "There is now a leak in the boat. We've learned about Hellespont and Laomedon of Troy. I have a bad feeling that Troy will become important in the near future. I think—"

The ship shuddered and Percy stopped speaking. He stayed absolutely silent as shouts came from above deck. They were yelling something about a city.

Percy rolled up the scroll, put it back in his little box, and ran upstairs. He appeared above deck and ran to the bow of the ship. There was indeed a city up ahead. The city seemed to have an Egyptian-like feel to the architecture mixed in with regular Greek buildings. Percy knew that there were a different "kind" of people down in Egypt, men and women who were much darker skinned and lived in the desert. They built magnificent triangular buildings. Pyramids were what they were called.

Percy watched as the _Argonauts_ approached the city and docked on the beach. There were guards, soldiers, who went back to notify the king of the land that there were visitors. All of the _Argonauts_ were ordered to stay on board until the king agreed to let them off.

It was sunset by the time the king arrived wearing fancy clothing and wonderful jewellery. He regarded us with a kind expression and opened his arms in a welcoming. "I am King Cyzicus of Cyzicus. Welcome to my land, a city inhabited by a tribe called the Dolionians. All of you are welcome to Cyzicus and are invited to my palace for a wonderful feast."

* * *

King Cyzicus threw a feast to welcome us to his kingdom, giving the _Argonauts_ the best meals they had in the past few days. Jason had even admitted to Percy that the food in Lemnos was not as good as this.

The king was very welcoming to them and even gave them rooms to stay in for the night. Argus explained to him the problem with the ship and asked him for the supplies to help fix it. All of the wood had been used for the crossbows earlier.

"I would be glad to," King Cyzicus smiled.

The next day in the late afternoon, the _Argo_ was ready to set sail once again and King Cyzicus watched as they left.

"You are welcome to come back if in need of anything ever again," he said.

"Thank you, King Cyzicus." Jason bowed. "We will if we need anything."

"Farewell for now."

Then the _Argo_ set sail.

That night, a storm hit the _Argonauts_ like a ram. It was a slow process, clouds beginning to thicken in the sky, lightning flashing, and thunder screaming overhead. The night was cold, winter beginning to grow colder and colder. Demeter was grieving at the worst time possible. The storm rocked the _Argo_ like no other storm had ever been thrown at any of the men before. Waves made the boat rock over swells. The bireme was raised up by the giant waves before free-falling back to the ocean. At least, that was the way it felt to Percy.

He could barely see in the storm, the wind whipping at his face at incredible speeds. Rain pounded the boat hard, water collecting in certain spots. Most of the men went below deck to escape the rain and wind, leaving the boat at mercy to the weather.

Percy and Heracles were the only two above deck.

"The wind is too strong!" Percy yelled.

Heracles nodded, agreeing. "I can stand it, but we are not making any progress."

"Have you experienced something like this before?" the son of Poseidon asked. "Like heavy rain and strong winds?"

"On land, yes," replied the son of Zeus. "Not on the water. On land, you only need to set your camp up right amongst the trees so that the wind will not pick you up and discard you further from your destination. I assume that on water it is not possible to stop from being tossed around unless you find a cave or cove."

"Or if you hit a beach."

"That too."

They stood there as the wind roared in their ears. A tingling sensation in Percy's gut began growing before he realized what was happening too late.

"Hit the deck!" Percy shouted. He dropped down to the deck as a wall of water slammed into the side of the ship, temporarily engulfing it. Luckily, the sails were down otherwise they would be gone as well.

Percy was completely dry, but Heracles was doused in salt water.

"Keep down," Percy told the son of Zeus, who was trying to get up.

"Why?"

"Wait for it..."

The two children of the Big Three tensed up just as the stern of the _Argo_ crashed into something. They were sent sliding backwards. Percy managed to grab onto a seat before his momentum sent him flying over the side of the _Argo_. He screamed, thinking he was about to fall on something hard that would kill him instantly. Surprised, he found that he'd landed on sand.

"A beach," he muttered. "A beach. Heracles! We've found a beach!"

The wind was shouting so loud in his ears, he couldn't be sure if Heracles heard him or not. The rain continued pouring down, Percy still not getting wet. Lightning lit up the sky, and for a second Percy saw a city below. A chill went up his spine when he realized that the city looked familiar. He could never be sure if they'd been blown all the way back to Lemnos or to some other city along the coast of Asia Minor.

The son of Poseidon got up and pulled out his sword. Anaklusmos elongated in his hands until the celestial bronze cast a faint glow of light in the darkness of the night. He made his way back to the _Argo_ where Heracles and Jason were herding the _Argonauts_ off the ship.

"We need to find shelter!" Jason shouted. He said something else, but the words were lost in the wind.

The _Argonauts_ trekked toward the city that Percy just told them about, their swords and spears out, ready to attack anybody who attacked them.

Percy made his way to the front where Theseus was leading the crew toward the city. He stood next to the son of Aegeus, who was damp. Theseus was squinting hard, the wind too much for him to keep his eyes open wide.

Soon, they were met with a lone guard.

"Who passes!" said the guard.

"We need shelter!" Theseus replied. "We have been thrown ashore by—"

"I asked, _who passes_!" repeated the guard.

"We have no time for this, Theseus," a man behind Percy said.

"You're right," he muttered. "Tell Hades, Theseus. That is who I am." Then the son of Aegeus thrusted his sword through a hole in the guard's armor and killing him instantly.

"Kyros! I swear, I heard him shouting about somebody. My king, what should we do? There may be intruders!"

Even though Percy heard the orders of the king clearly, he still felt this doubt in his mind. He felt doubt about killing this king. "I fear they may have killed Kyros! We must repel them from our city, to keep them safe."

Theseus pushed Percy back a little. Some _Argonauts_ stepped forward and locked their shields. Their spears bristled over the top of their shields. That's when Percy saw the enemy right ahead of them, a large force coming over to kill them.

"There they are!" an enemy exclaimed.

"Charge!" Theseus shouted, and before Percy knew what was going on, the _Argonauts_ charged at their "enemy."

Percy could hear the clashing of swords and shields and spears, the sounds of dying men, and the sounds of surprise. Percy could see vague outlines in the dark, most of the _Argonauts_ continuing their push on the enemy. Percy rushed forward to find Theseus. The doubt in his mind was pounding now, like an alarm bell.

"Theseus!" Percy shouted. "Where are you?"

The son of Poseidon ran around like a headless chicken before the silhouette of a young man appeared right beside him. "Here, Percy. We've almost repelled the forces. Soon."

It turned out that it would take longer than "soon." Reinforcements arrived, driving the _Argonauts_ back from the city. Percy watched as the storm began fading away, the sun growing grey from the approaching daylight. He watched as the _Argonauts_ smashed away at their opponents, acting like a team rather than individual heroes.

Then a loud outcry of pain pierced his ears before the call of a soldier made all battling on the battlefield halt. "King Cyzicus!"

Daylight exploded, Helios appearing above the horizon.

"No, no, no!" Theseus shouted. He ran past the Dolionians he'd been battling and kneeled next to the dead body of King Cyzicus. Jason was standing above the dead king with a shocked expression on his face. Percy realized with a shock that it was Jason who delivered the final blow to the king of Cyzicus.

Everyone stared at the dead king's body with a mixture of shock and sorrow.

"We didn't know," Jason said shakily, breaking out of his shock. "We—We didn't..." Jason swallowed and turned sadly to the king's troops. "We must have an elaborate burial for the stupid mistake we have executed."

* * *

The burial for King Cyzicus took a whole day to complete, and an extra six days were needed for the _Argonauts_ to apologize for the tragic deed done. Percy was morose at the death of the king, knowing he had a bad feeling about the fighting. What had happened was obvious. The king and the _Argonauts_ had mistaken each other for the enemy because of the storm.

Percy knew the weather was not only Demeter's fault, but Zeus' and Poseidon's as well. Poseidon controlled the waves, and Zeus controlled thunderstorms. Along with the farm goddess' sorrows, the sea god's and the sky god's seeming anger caused the death of the king.

The trip had gotten sad after that point, everyone growing weary after the slaughter of King Cyzicus. It had hurt Jason the most considering the son of Aeson had delivered the final blow to kill him. Percy noted the events in his little journal, but didn't stay sad for long. He knew it was duty to continue on with the quest, no matter what happens. Percy quickly began practicing with his water powers again.

In another few days, Jason ordered a stop in the city of Kios to restock for the adventure. Jason told Percy that he sensed they wouldn't be coming back through this route returning from Colchis. Percy believed him knowing that he'd had sensory feelings as well.

Percy stayed on the ship with Atalanta as the rest went to the city to restock on supplies.

"Sad we killed the king, huh?" Percy asked.

"It was unfortunate," Atalanta replied coolly, as if she wasn't affected as much by the death of the king. When she noticed that question in his eyes and on his face, she shook her head. "It is not that I am heartless or soulless. I have just seen many hunters get ripped apart painfully by monsters. I have seen much worse deaths than his."

"But he was so nice to us," Percy countered. "He gave us food and a place to stay for that night."

"And who was to say hunters are not nice?" she asked. "Some of the hunters I have met are very nice indeed, both the men and the women."

Percy raised his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright."

They were standing on the platform at the bow, staring out at the ocean out in front of them. They stood in silence for a little while until a question popped into Percy's head,

"Wait, you said hunters are both male and female, right? If Artemis is the goddess of the hunt, does she have a group of hunters that like serve with her?"

Atalanta snorted. "If there were Hunters of Artemis, they would have to swear eternal oaths to the goddess, swearing off love to boys and swearing their virginity to the goddess. No female in the entire world would want to do that. Other than the fact I have sworn virginity to the goddess, I have not sworn anything else to Artemis."

"Oh...and that's why you—"

"Not because of that."

"But you can because—"

"Can we not talk about Meleager, Percy?" Atalanta pleaded. "I don't want to think about it right now."

"Or him," Percy pointed out. She glared at him. "Sorry, not helping."

After brief silence, Atalanta turned to Percy. "You know, the idea of Hunters of Artemis who swear those eternal oaths...that may not be such a bad idea. If you can find _one_ who is willing, you may win a slight favour with the goddess. Are you good with a bow and arrow?"

"If I practice, maybe."

"Well, how about tomorrow morning we set up a practice range for you to practice in," Atalanta suggested. "We'll see how you do."

Percy smiled. "That's a great idea!" Then his smile faltered. "But won't we be leaving tomorrow?"

Atalanta shook her head. "We can let the _Argonauts_ get over killing King Cyzicus for a few days. By then, you should be able to at least hit the target one hundred percent of the time."

Percy narrowed his eyes. "Who says I can't hit a target one hundred percent of the time?"

She gave him a pointed look and smiled. He crumbled under the look. "Okay, okay. I can't hit a target one hundred percent of the time."

"Exactly."

When the _Argonauts_ were ready to leave the island, they were ambushed by hellhounds, beasts of the Underworld. Atalanta and Percy covered the _Argonauts_ as they climbed aboard the _Argo_. Well, it was mainly Atalanta covering them as Percy missed all but one arrow which nailed a hellhound in the eye. He cheered that he'd hit the beast, but in truth, he'd been aiming for a different hellhound that was at least three hellhounds away.

Before they reached open waters, Percy had a bad feeling that something bad had happened. By the time that they did reach open waters, he realized his mistake far too late. Heracles was nowhere to be found.

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above and if any historical facts are actually wrong. I have spent my time looking through different websites, and even a couple of books, but the story that will continue may have incorrect historical info. Still, I believe it just adds to the effect.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	7. The Old Seer

**Hey everyone,**

**I'd like to announce that although some myths contradict with others, I may need to change the order in which historical myths took place to be able to fit the characters I want into the story.**

**Although the setting is ancient Greece, I will make the characters talk in English and informally, as if they were regular boys/men or girls/women in the modern world. It makes writing this a little bit easier, and the characters more relaxed than if they talked formally all the time.**

**I would like all of you avid readers to vote for the poll. That's right, there is a poll up on my profile page regarding this story. I believe that the idea is a little original, no popular FanFic about the original Quest for the Golden Fleece, at least that I know of. However, I am wondering whether you want me to write about the Trojan War as well. My personal vote is yes, but please put in your opinion. Thanks.**

**_Just a note about copying and pasting author's notes...in the past, I have had readers who did not read the author's notes until later chapters. I just want to keep reminding. If you have already seen the author's notes, you can just skip them and go straight to reading the story. Thank you._  
**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**The Old Seer**

Percy panicked at first. He almost called for the boat to turn around to get Heracles back on the _Argo_, but he remembered that most of the _Argonauts_ did not want the son of Zeus on the quest. Percy changed his mind and just hoped that the hero knew his way back home.

The routine was the regular: wake up in the early morning, eat breakfast, go out onto the upper deck to practice water powers, eat lunch, practice water powers, eat dinner, practice water powers, watch the sun set, practice archery, go to sleep.

Archery he found to get progressively easier, Atalanta showing him the stance that he needed to keep. He figured that by practicing with water would help him. He'd listened to Theseus' advice and used his emotions to control the water. The angrier he got, the more water he could control. The memory he thought most of was the hellhound killing his mother. Percy was beginning to be able to create distinct shapes instead of just a blob of water.

The crew of the _Argo_ began stopping more frequently now, having rowing contests and boxing matches while betting. Percy found it all right that the men were doing that as it gave him more time to practice his powers. Even though Jason wanted to get the Golden Fleece, and so did many others, they were grateful for the break, not wanting to think about dangerous quests all the time. Percy was also sure that most of the men were tired of paddling.

Theseus continued giving Percy wise advice when sword fighting. He would spar with Jason as well, asking Percy to watch to see how more techniques can be used. Since Percy was a quick learner, he began executing the sword fighting techniques with more fluid motions, rather than the robotic-like way as when he began.

One of the matches between Jason and Theseus looked like a real sword fight, as if they were trying to kill one another. Percy knew better. They were just fighting at their hardest. Both had the ability to twist their swords in a split second.

At the start of the match, Jason told Theseus that the counterattack of the disarming technique would work against sloppy fighters, not experienced fighters. Theseus raised an eyebrow and challenged him to that fact.

Jason agreed, and they leveled their swords at each other.

Jason made the first attack. He lunged forward and feinted a jab before twisting and swinging his sword from the ground up. Theseus barely managed to parry that strike and was being pushed back. Jason made a flurry of strikes, attacking from the sides, above and the bottom. It was his special ability. Only those who trained with Jason knew that he had quite a bit of stamina. He would wear down his opponent with wild but quick strikes.

Theseus, luckily, had trained with Jason, and knew of his tactic. Theseus fought much like Percy, tactically. The only difference was that Theseus had developed more power and had less speed than Percy, even when Percy had an unbalanced sword.

At that thought, Percy pulled Anaklusmos out and stared at the gleaming sword. He'd never had a balanced sword before, all swords he'd trained with being either too long, too short, too heavy, or too light. Anaklusmos was perfect for him.

Percy remembered what Heracles had said about the blade. He had received it as a present from one of the Hesperides. Percy wondered what would happen when the son of Zeus went back only to say he had given to sword to some random ten-year-old boy. He was sure she would not be too happy about it.

Its name was intriguing, though. _Anaklusmos. The current that takes one by surprise. And before you know it, you have been swept out to sea._

He tapped the point of the sword and it shrunk back into a hair clip. He clipped it back onto his finger.

Theseus swiftly maneuvered around Jason avoiding the quick strikes that the son of Aeson were throwing. Then the son of Aeson made a downward slash that would have taken the head off of Theseus' neck. But the son of Aegeus held his sword up with both hands, keeping the sword inches away from his forehead. Jason continued pushing down, which was his mistake.

Theseus slowly inched his own blade to the side until his sword was at an angle, not parallel to the ground. He then strafed to the side and pushed Jason's sword down with all of his might, sending the sword clattering to the ground. Jason quickly recovered and kicked Theseus' right hand right at the nerve. He stepped forward, ripped Theseus' sword out of his hands, flipped the son of Aegeus to the dirt, and held him at sword point.

"Do you yield?" Jason asked.

"I yield."

Jason helped Theseus up and they laughed, talking about how fun the match was. They went up to Percy and offered to spar him. Having nothing else to do while the rest of the _Argonauts_ were holding a boxing tournament, he agreed.

He fought Theseus.

When Jason called the start of the match, both opponents stared at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move.

After five seconds of no one moving, Percy decided to make the first strike.

He was surprised that Anaklusmos still felt swift in his hands. He hadn't engaged in combat with the sword since fighting Jason and he was surprised that it still felt new in his hands. He copied Jason's movements, though with less power. Theseus was easily able to parry Percy's strikes until Percy started using the power of the sword.

Percy had never been good at controlling water, but he could always be fed power from water. Sea storms were the exact same. They were heavy winds fed by heat in water, the water vapor. Percy could feel power pulsing through his sword and back into himself.

Percy then ceased the attacks, stepping backwards, slowly, toward the ocean.

"Oh, no," Theseus said. "You're not getting power from being in water. Come back here. You can't control water on land as well as you can in water. Don't even think about—"

Percy flashed him a smile before turning and sprinting into the water. Energy coursed through his body, just like he'd eaten his mother's "biscuits." The sweet taste from the food had made him energetic, as far as he could remember.

Then feeling powerful, he blasted himself out of the ocean, landing in front of Theseus and attacking as wildly as he could. It wasn't tactical, but Percy wanted to try fighting with power. For some reason, the winds had picked up and were whipping at Theseus like crazy. And only Theseus.

He was backing up from Percy, his eyes wide with fear. The son of Poseidon continued advancing before deciding Theseus' cowardice was preventing their sparring. He lashed out at the son of Aegeus and knocked his sword out of his hands.

The sudden burst of energy he'd felt when stepping into the water dissipated, and Percy suddenly felt really tired.

He put Theseus at sword point. "Do you yield?"

"How did you do that?" he asked.

Percy blinked, his head getting dizzy. "Do what?"

"The...cyclone."

With a shock, Percy realized he was standing in his own personal storm, though it was disappearing.

"Percy?"

The son of Poseidon blinked hard, feeling more tired than he'd felt in a while. He collapsed down onto the ground when his legs fell under him. He clutched his head before the world spun once more and he fell into darkness.

* * *

He gasped and sat up straight.

"He's awake, Atalanta!" a voice from above him called. "You don't need to get Argus."

Percy looked up and saw Theseus standing above him, sand and dirt coating the young man's tunic. Theseus' green eyes gleamed in the fading sunlight despite his facing showing signs of weariness and lack of sleep.

"What...what happened?" Percy asked groggily.

"You somehow summoned a personal storm, one that circled around you like a cyclone," Theseus reminded him. "I think that power that you sucked up from the ocean was more than you could handle without the ocean's power feeding you. It's probably why you fell unconscious. Jason had the _Argonauts_ set up camp here for you, just for you to heal up for tonight."

He flopped back down onto the sand. "Tell him thanks when he comes."

Percy heard approaching footsteps in the sand when a pretty face appeared above him. It was Atalanta. "Hey," Percy greeted.

She frowned. "You missed archery practice."

"Sorry," he apologized. "Used too much power to summon miniature cyclone."

"Yeah, I saw that," she said. "Even though that was impressive, you could have seriously injured myself."

"That's why I need to practice my powers on land," he responded. "In the water, I could probably do anything."

"That is only because of your father," she countered. "You still missed practice."

"I can practice at night, Atalanta. It's better that way. Helps train my vision."

"Whatever. Just rest now. Trust me, it is better for you than it is for me."

"Yes, my lady."

Atalanta smiled and turned to Theseus. "Send him over to the makeshift archery range when he is finished dinner, tired or not."

"Sure, Atalanta."

Then the lone female _Argonaut_ jogged away. Percy sighed and sat up again, turning his body so that he was facing Theseus. "Was the cyclone impressive?"

The son of Aegeus nodded. "It wasn't a strong as the winds were on the night we slew King Cyzicus, but it was strong. It was why I backed away from you. I did not want to get caught in that. Now, if we can train you out of water, I am sure that you will be able to sustain that hurricane for at least a little while."

Percy smiled, impressed with himself that he was able to accomplish such a feat. Creating storms did not sound easy. It didn't feel easy either.

"Come on, Percy," Theseus said. "Let's go for dinner."

He used Theseus' leg to pull himself up. Then he walked alongside him as they made their way to the campsite.

"Why didn't you bring me to the campsite?" Percy asked.

"Jason just ordered them to set up camp next to the ship," Theseus explained. "We were about to move you over to the campsite when you suddenly woke up."

"Oh."

They continued walking. Percy could still feel the after effects of summoning the storm, his legs still weary and his head pounding. But they weren't too uncomfortable to deal with, so Percy did his best to stay awake and conscious.

When they reached the campsite, dinner was already prepared for them. It was fish, something Percy was hesitant to eat. When he finally gave in, he could only hope that those fish were annoying. Even then, Percy ate little meat. He settled for eating a lot of cos lettuce, a healthy salad rather than meat.

After dinner, Theseus escorted him to the archery range where Atalanta was nailing bulls eyes almost every single time. When she heard them approach, she turned and smiled. "Good to see you look fine now. Earlier you were really, really pale...much unlike your usual tanned skin. Ready to learn how to hit the target more than five times out of ten?"

"Well...I may not hit the rings, but at least I hit the target," Percy said.

"Let's try hitting at least the outside ring, all right?"

"Sure."

Theseus patted Percy on the shoulder. "Good luck, buddy." Then he stalked away toward the campsite, which was now pretty much the only source of light left.

The son of Poseidon turned back to the daughter of Iasus. "So..."

"Grab a bow and arrow," she commanded. "Then nock an arrow and pull back. Don't release."

Percy followed her direct orders. He shuffled over to the equipment box and grabbed a bow. Then he stole a quiver, slung it over his back, and put a few arrows inside of it. He finally grabbed a lone arrow, nocked it, and walked over to where Atalanta was. She pointed at the target in front of her, and he stepped in her position. He brought the bow up and pulled back. Like she'd ordered, he didn't release it.

"Okay, so far I have been telling you how to aim, calculating distance, trajectory and power, but your stance has been quite awkward," she summarized. "So, now I'm going to teach you how to have a good stance while shooting a bow and arrow. Before you say anything, you need to know the basics of the stance before you can shoot."

"But what if I'm crouching?" asked the curious son of Poseidon. "I can't use the same stance every time I want to shoot."

"That is why I said _basics of the stance_," she said, emphasizing those words. "There is always a base with however you choose to shoot a bow. Getting power and accuracy comes with the stance as well as your arms. If you are standing with your legs shoulder width apart and facing your target, how will you get the power you need?"

"That is true."

"All right, let me fix your stance, and see if your shooting gets better." Atalanta came up to Percy, moved his legs and arms until he was in a good stance. She walked around him, making sure all of his body parts were in the right place.

"My arms hurt," complained Percy with gritted teeth, trying to hold his position. "I can't hold the arrow for much longer."

"Aim and fire," she ordered.

Percy moved the tip of the arrow slightly up, so that the distance the arrow had to travel would affect the arrow's trajectory. Then he let the arrow go.

The arrow flew in the air before hitting the target on one of its inner rings.

"Whoa!" Percy exclaimed.

"Now, you just need to learn how to get in that stance naturally," she said. "I am assuming that it did not feel natural shooting the arrow like that."

Percy shook his head. "No, it didn't."

"Okay, then. Try getting into that stance after jogging a lap around the archery range."

He gave her an exasperated look before obeyed and running a lap. He then stepped up to the spot he was at before and fixed his stance. He pulled an arrow out of his quiver and nocked it. Then he pulled it back and released it. The arrow flew and smashed into the outer ring of the circle. Percy's face lit up and he hugged Atalanta.

"I hit the outer ring!" he exclaimed proudly. "For the first time without your help!"

"That is good," she said patting the boy's back. "Now, keep practicing. In a few years, you'll be hitting the bulls eye half of the time."

Until Selene shone brightly in the sky, Percy trained and trained with the bow and arrow until every single one of his shots hit the outer ring. He smiled, happy for his success. He was beginning to wonder if he could learn shooting as quickly as he could adapt to sword fighting. Maybe but to be a good hunter he needed years of practice.

The next morning, they set sail for the Euxine Sea.

Percy stood with Tiphys at the helm, helping Ancaeus guide the _Argo_ to their destination. According to the map, which was old, there was a small inlet that connected the Euxine Sea to the Northern Mediterranean. It was so small that it seemed like a river...at least, that was what Tiphys told him.

It was a passage between Thrace and Asia Minor where the legends foretold of a formidable challenge that must be completed before entering the Euxine Sea. Jason had called that a bunch of garbage, but Tiphys warned him that anything was possible.

When they came at a crossroads, they became stuck. There was the North Mediterranean all around their left side, but a large strait that was much larger than a river, a body of water at least four times the length of the _Argo_.

Jason ordered to set up camp at the beach, the navigators to decide whether the strait was the way to go overnight.

The _Argonauts_ paddled over to the supposed land of Thrace, crossing the large strait. When they stopped at the beach, the men began setting up camp while Tiphys, Ancaeus, Jason and Percy discussed at the waterfront about whether the strait was the direction to go or not.

"I think it has to be," Jason said. "The men who made this map must have either been drinking or over exaggerating. I believe that this strait is the way to go. There is no other river or stream mapped here, so this has to be it."

Tiphys looked doubtful. "This could be this. This one, right here." He pointed to a body of water that pushed inland a little. It was hard to describe.

"That is true," Ancaeus agreed. "It could just very well be that right there. But what this is, I have no idea."

"But that wouldn't be up to scale," Jason countered. "If this is that, this must be at least two hundred times wider. This is only four _Argo_'s long. This has to be the strait we are looking for. There is no other possibility."

"We cannot be certain—"

"But what if I turn out to be right? What if we search around only to find that this is the correct entrance to the Euxine Sea? I would much rather spend a day or two around here to find out rather than sail. Sailing would make our men work more."

"I don't know about you guys," Percy spoke up, "but I'd go with my gut feeling rather than trying to figure out other possibilities. It might be dangerous, and you might be wrong, but your gut feeling is usually correct."

The other three turned their heads towards him.

"You know, Percy? You may just be right," Jason said. "My gut feeling still stands with my decision. I think that this is the place we need to be going through."

Tiphys and Ancaeus shared a look. Tiphys opened his mouth. "I don't know. I could be that—"

"Jason! Tiphys! Ancaeus! Percy!" Theseus shouted as he sprinted towards them. "There's an old man hobbling near camp. He said he wants to speak to the one called Jason. How he knows your name is a mystery to me, but you have to come over."

Jason frowned but nodded. "All right. Come, let's go."

They jogged over to where the old man was staring blankly ahead, _Argonauts_ standing uncomfortably around him. Before Jason could even speak, the old man held up a hand to halt him. He turned towards Jason and smiled. "Why hello there, Jason, leader of the _Argonauts_?"

"What do you want?" Jason asked.

"Getting straight to the point, I see," the man said. "Well, I am called Phineas. I am a son of Poseidon and blind."

"You're blind?" Percy asked.

"Yes, I am."

"Then what do you want?" Jason snapped. "We are on a mission and a quest to—"

"Retrieve the Golden Fleece," Phineas finished. "I know all about that mission. You see, I am a seer, and I know that if you do not help me with my deed, you will all perish once you reach the Symplegades."

"What are the Symplegades?" Jason demanded.

"Help a blind old man like me, and I will tell you all that you need to know," the seer smiled.

He couldn't have been younger than forty and his skin was wrinkled and pale, gruesome looking moles and bumps growing on his face. Percy had a feeling that he'd done something very wrong to himself or the gods to get this way. He was naturally curious as to what had happened to the old man, as frankly, he'd never seen a man older than forty. Phineas wore long, brown robes that were left trailing in the dirt and sand, though it didn't seem like the man cared.

Jason had his lips pursed in thought. Percy saw him share a look with Theseus before he turned to the old seer and bowed. "We will help you, Phineas, in order for you to save our lives."

"That is great!" Phineas cried. "Now, what is cooking for your lunch? I am getting fairly hungry."

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above and if any historical facts are actually wrong. I have spent my time looking through different websites, and even a couple of books, but the story that will continue may have incorrect historical info. Still, I believe it just adds to the effect.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	8. The Boreads Go Hunting

**Hey everyone,**

**I'd like to announce that although some myths contradict with others, I may need to change the order in which historical myths took place to be able to fit the characters I want into the story.**

**Although the setting is ancient Greece, I will make the characters talk in English and informally, as if they were regular boys/men or girls/women in the modern world. It makes writing this a little bit easier, and the characters more relaxed than if they talked formally all the time.**

**I would like all of you avid readers to vote for the poll. That's right, there is a poll up on my profile page regarding this story. I believe that the idea is a little original, no popular FanFic about the original Quest for the Golden Fleece, at least that I know of. However, I am wondering whether you want me to write about the Trojan War as well. My personal vote is yes, but please put in your opinion. Thanks.**

**_Just a note about copying and pasting author's notes...in the past, I have had readers who did not read the author's notes until later chapters. I just want to keep reminding. If you have already seen the author's notes, you can just skip them and go straight to reading the story. Thank you._  
**

******Later on, I might actually decide that Percy may have a pairing in this story, so in a couple chapters I will be shutting down the poll about the "Trojan War" story and starting one up about pairings. I will choose what I want, but I would like your opinions on it.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**The Boreads Go Hunting**

It turns out, Phineas was starving. At first, he'd looked like an old man who hadn't eaten much in the last few years. That's when he explained his curse.

Jason gave him a part of a fish to eat. "So, Phineas. Other than being a seer, being blind, and being a son of Poseidon, what are you?"

"In truth, I am the king of Thrace...or _was_ the king of Thrace, before I became a seer," he smiled.

"What happened since then?" Jason interrogated. "You say you used to be a king of Thrace and _not_ a seer. How did that turn around?"

The old seer smiled and looked up. "Hm. Let's see. Ah, yes. You see, the gods came to me for a punishment one day after my second wife killed the children of my first wife. They asked me whether I would rather have a long life and to foretell to future, or be able to see."

Jason nodded. "Keep going."

"So, obviously, I chose long life and foretelling the future," he said. "I would never see the sun again, but I would become a seer and live for a long time. I thought that this was a fair punishment, seeing as I got the good end of the deal. But none of the gods told me of further punishment. Harpies, little devil-like creatures that can fly, were sent to steal my food whenever I was eating. Those chickens keep stealing my food. It is so annoying! Zeus punishing me, bah! What did I do to the gods?"

Jason stared at the old seer with darkened eyes. "So the gods have punished you."

"But tell me, Jason," the old seer pleaded, "what can you tell from my story that I have done wrong? My second wife is dead, she has been dead for many years. In fact, I was kicked out of my kingdom when I grew past fifty years of age. They had not seen anyone this old...ever. Most believed it was a bad omen, so I was thrown aside like nothing. However, I do have this table of food...for now, I have covered it up. Harpies are stupid, so they don't know that it is still there. Miraculously, they cannot smell the food. But what have I done that is wrong?"

The son of Aeson knit his eyebrows, looking straight at Phineas' eyes. It was almost as if he were looking into the seer's soul. "The gods wouldn't punish _you_ if your second wife killed her step-children. They would punish her. That means..."

Phineas' face contorted into one of anger. "I was angry, alright? I—They were the closest ones to me. I regret my mistake, but you must see that I am in need of help."

Jason bit his lip and exhaled slowly. He looked out towards the ocean. "This is the strait we are looking for, right?"

"Yes but the Symplegades block your path."

"Show us the Symplegades, and we may negotiate a deal."

"Alright, alright." Phineas sighed and stood up. He reached around aimlessly, shuffling his feet as if he were walking on a narrow plank of wood. Slowly, he somehow made his way toward Percy. Then Phineas pointed at him, his finger a nail's length away from his eyes. "You. You smell like the ocean. A son of Poseidon...Perseus, named after the very first."

Percy gawked at him. "How did you—"

"I have an enhanced sense of smell...plus, I am a seer." Phineas brushed at his robes. "Would you mind leading me to the Symplegades? It is kind to help the elderly, you know."

The younger son of Poseidon shook his head to recover from his shock. Then he frowned. "Yeah...but helping the elderly who was punished by the gods...?"

"Here, I'll help him." Periclymenus stepped forward. Phineas turned to the sound of his voice.

"My...the prince of Pylos, Periclymenus," he said in awe. "Your power, given to you from Poseidon, is very powerful." Then the seer frowned. "But that is a mighty downfall, a great weakness. Still, you are very kind."

Reminding Percy of Periclymenus' power was not very effective in making the son of Poseidon happy. Admittedly, Percy was jealous that his father did not give him any shape-shifting abilities. But a mighty downfall? A great weakness? That didn't sound good.

Jason got up and called for Theseus and Atalanta. Percy was invited to come along in the adventure to the Symplegades as well. After five minutes, the group had assembled, all but Phineas wearing Greek armor, wielding a sword or spear, holding a shield, and in the case of Atalanta and Percy, a quiver and a bow.

Periclymenus aided Phineas as he told us directions. They were to stay against the coastline at all times, just because the forest around could lead them into some traps. Jason told Phineas that they were not scared by a little forest, but the seer turned to him with almost black eyes and said, "This is not Greece, Jason. Monsters you have never seen reside here."

Along the way, Phineas told them of the lands of the east.

"Yes, the lands of the east are magnificent," Phineas said. "The three main lands of the near east are Colchis, Asia Minor and Media. Colchis is beautiful, a mix of mountainous, grassy and forested areas. I believe that there are some desert parts, but that would be a little too far east."

"That's where we're headed, though," Percy noted. "Our destination to find the Golden Fleece is Colchis."

"The land of King Aeëtes," the seer nodded. "Phrixus managed to arrive there safely on the golden-fleeced ram. Then he married one of Aeëtes' daughters. By the way, Jason, he _does_ have more daughters."

Jason shook his head. "It is not my point to hunt for wives on this quest. The original purpose is to reclaim my throne back. I have re-thought about that ever since we messed up on Lemnos. We wasted six months there. I would have rather spent a year helping you. Percy, Theseus, Atalanta, Argus and Heracles were there to snap me back into focus. Without them, I'd still be on that island."

"Heracles, you say? Why did I not see him?"

"He got lost," he replied. "I am not sure where we left him, but I am sure the demigod will be able to find his way home. He _is_ Heracles, after all."

"True."

Percy, for fun, stepped on a branch as hard as he could. It snapped under his foot causing the others to jump a little. Atalanta glared at him, but he just grinned. "So, what about Media? What is Media?"

"Oh, the Medians." Phineas rubbed his hands together as if he was preparing to chop us all up on the spot and eat us like a cannibal. "Those are interesting men. They are native tribes of the desert. They live and thrive in lands between India and Asia Minor. It is incredible how they can live in the desert. They are like the Egyptians of some sort, though much less developed as a civilization."

"They have darker skin, right?" Percy asked. "Maybe they descend from Egyptians."

"I see the future, not the present," the seer said. "I am not sure about what you ask. Maybe they have, maybe they have not."

"Then how did you know about us," Jason asked.

"From a little while ago," he replied. "I saw that you would be coming, saw us introduce ourselves, like this. I know a lot, young man."

They passed through a small grove with a row of steles.

"A graveyard," Periclymenus noticed.

Usually, mourning the dead was a good thing, but Percy thought that mourning strangers, kings or not, was kind of creepy. He figured that since he was the son of Poseidon, he was afraid of most things that his uncles controlled. That would mean anything underground, belonging to the Underworld (like spirits), heights and being in the sky. The only thing was that he'd never tried testing out if he was afraid of those things because he couldn't. At least, not yet.

Then the crossed the graveyard and delved back into the cover of the thick forest, close enough to see the shore.

"What about Asia Minor?" Periclymenus asked. "When we passed by Imbros and Hellespont, there were notes of 'Trojans' there. Who are the Trojans? The people of Imbros regarded them as superior. Why have we never heard of them?"

"The Trojans, eh?" Phineas tapped his chin. "Yes, they are another eastern tribe. They are only well-known because they have earned the favor of a major god, Phoebus Apollo. Phoebus Apollo is now considered one of the more major gods. Alongside him are Zeus and Pallas Athena."

"What about Poseidon?" Percy asked.

"Yes, Poseidon is a major god in terms of fishing and boating and sailing, but on land, usually most favor their patrons and of course the king of the gods, Zeus," was the answer he received. "Not even gods and goddesses like Artemis and Ares are _really_ major. They are powerful as well, but not considered to be their patrons. That is why you see most boasting that they are better than Artemis, as she is not regarded as highly as the major gods and goddesses."

"What about Hephaestus and Dionysus?"

"Those two no one cares about," Phineas snorted. "Hephaestus hides himself away all day and Dionysus spends most of his time looking for a wife, sometimes chasing nymphs."

"Oh."

They began to hear a _bang_ at even intervals. It sounded like clashing rocks or something. Percy and Jason shared a look. Maybe the Symplegades were clashing rocks. Percy had a feeling that it is was true. He couldn't say he wasn't scared, but he couldn't say he wasn't willing either.

Phineas smiled. "Ah, the Symplegades. Can you not just hear the wonderful sounds of clashing rocks at intervals?"

Theseus stopped right in his tracks. "Clashing rocks?"

"Yes, the Symplegades are basically clashing rocks."

Late at night, they appeared out of the forest and saw the Symplegades for real.

The Symplegades were huge boulders that magically clashed together at regular intervals, sending ripples down the strait. The only problem was that the boulders clashed at too quick of a pace to be able to pass through. Phineas was right. There would be no way to get past this without help via magic or a seer. And a seer we had.

"You see, without my help, you would be crushed by the colliding rocks instantly whether it crushes your entire boat, the front half, or the back half. It will still make the _Argo_ sink. But with my help, as I know a way to get past those, you will be able to pass into the Euxine Sea."

Jason sighed. "I suppose there is no other way. Let us get back to the campsite and we will get going on the quest."

Phineas laughed. "But I never said the quest was going to be easy. No, I will require the aide of the Boreads, Calaïs and Zetes. Their quest is to come with me to kill the harpies, no matter how long it takes."

"Wait, what?" Jason stared at the seer incredulously...and with anger. "We need to get going on our quest and—"

"Do you want my help or not?" the seer asked. "I could just let you go on your own. Besides, your uncle thinks you will die. No matter how quickly you arrive back, it will still be an incredible feat."

Jason hesitated before making eye contact with every single one of his companions. Then he turned back to Phineas. "We will do it."

* * *

Percy continued training as the Boreads went off, practicing controlling water. Every single day he continued getting better and better until his power matched that of the second weakest son of Poseidon in the crew of the _Argo_.

He could not have asked for better practice other than the fact that the Boreads were taking so long. He knew it could have taken long, for Phineas had warned them; however, he also really wanted to do something most interesting, even more dangerous, than sitting around waiting for the Boreads and Phineas to come back. He was grateful for the time to practice.

Two months had passed since the Boreads left. Percy hoped that they were doing all right, not getting lost. Calaïs and Zetes were good men, good to hang around with, even he did not do so often.

At the moment, he was practice to control water and much higher degrees than before, raising the water up as high as five feet, but rather than a ball, it was a large collection of water...enough water to circle around half the camp at its thinnest. He could also now make more complicated shapes, like the shapes of swords and shapes of other weapons. He could also solidify them. Percy worked so hard to improve his water skills, that in just four months, he could blast water out like bombs now, making the surface of the water (and everything around it) send water shooting in the air. It really wore Percy down, but he thought it was worth it, and with more practice, he could control water like it was nothing.

"Wow, you're getting good at this," Theseus complimented.

"Thanks. Uh, tell Jason I'm going for a swim."

"All right, then."

Percy walked into the water and dove right under water, submerging himself in the freezing blue ocean. Even though winter was slowly disappearing, it was still cold outside. He found being in the ocean was a little warmer. He figured that since water was his home turf, he would always feel more comfortable in there.

He swam down into the depths of the water, greeting fish when they said hi, and trying to be able to control himself by pushing the currents around him rather than actually swimming. For a while he did this, just to get things off of his mind. There were lots of questions he had about dreams he'd had lately. There were a range of giant mountains in every single one of his dreams, a swirling sky and a huge drakon guarding a garden that had golden apples growing on the trees. It would show him glimpses of those before shutting off and turning to a different setting.

Percy continued to ask himself questions like, _Where are those mountains_? _What is that drakon_? _Which garden has golden apples_?

After what seemed like only twenty minutes, he headed back up for the surface. In other words, he had spent nearly two hours in the ocean, thinking about his dreams.

When he surfaced, it was dinner time.

Atalanta had gone hunting and found a couple of deer hanging around. Despite being sacred animals to Artemis, they needed food and those were the largest animals she could find. When Percy questioned how she killed all of them without letting any escape, she smirked and said, "That is for me to know, and you to find out."

Dinner was good, everyone having wonderful conversations, chatting amongst each other, drinking alcohol. It was just great. Percy had his own conversations with Atalanta about hunting and stories of the girl's hunts.

They were interesting, but then Percy's mind kind of fluttered off topic. Atalanta seemed to notice this. "What's wrong, Percy?"

"Just a dream I had," he replied. "It...never mind."

"Don't worry, Percy," she said. "Just tell me what is wrong and I can help you with whatever is bothering you."

So, Percy told her about his dreams.

"That does sound a little peculiar," she commented. "I do not know of a range of mountains with a drakon on it. A swirling sky...I'm not so sure about where there is a swirling sky. Everywhere I have been throughout my life...the sky is perfectly fine. The storm has to be caused by Zeus. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Nothing."

That ended the brief conversation they had about Percy's dreams.

That night, he had another dream. This time, he could actually hear voices.

Percy was hiding in the shadows, creeping around the dark forest without any sound. He heard a loud booming voice that echoed across the entire mountain, a voice seemingly naturally loud and proud.

"Are you sure?" he said.

Then he heard a softer voice, a much kinder voice. It sounded harmonic, like a harp being gently played by Apollo himself. He admitted that he was somewhat entranced by her voice. "I am certain of it, father. He came here once, he caught me and tried to make me help him. When I refused, he tried raping me. Luckily, Ladon found us and drove Heracles away. But I am certain that he will be back."

With a start, Percy realized that this was the girl that Heracles said he wanted to marry. Then he suddenly realized he was near the garden of the Hesperides, and the swirling vortex he saw was the sky, where Atlas held it up. If Heracles was telling the truth, why would the Hesperide lie to her own father? But if the Hesperide was telling the truth...

The booming voice, Atlas, grunted in pain. "He will not be able to defeat Ladon either way. This time, get your sisters to kill him, to show Zeus that his son is not as mighty as he thinks."

"But Zeus will punish you," the girl exclaimed.

Atlas laughed painfully. "He cannot punish me more than he has already."

"Are you sure you will be all right, father?"

"Yes, Zoë. I will be fine."

_Zo__ë_. Then the dream dissipated, morphing into a scary demon's face before he woke, morning light shining through his tent.

* * *

"Shh, Percy." Atalanta pointed towards the hare that was chewing at some plants. "Here take the knife. Once you kill the creature, skin it. I will wait back here and see how you do."

"If I miss and it starts running away, can you please shoot it?" Percy whispered.

"Sure thing."

He nodded and pulled an arrow out of his quiver. He nocked it and grabbed the knife out of Atalanta's hand. He put it along his belt and moved forward. He crept up to the closest tree and snuck around to the flank, to the hare's rear end. Crouching down, he stopped short and pulled the string back. Measuring for distance, power and trajectory, he moved the bow accordingly. He let go of the string, just because his hand was a little tired, before he pulled back and let the arrow fly.

The hare didn't see it coming. The arrow nailed it in its backside hard enough that the arrow had pierced through most of its organs. Percy was happy that he hit the creature, though he knew that it was best to aim for the head or heart, not ruining the meat of the body of the creature.

"I know, Atalanta!" Percy called. "I'll hit the head or heart next time."

"Good to know you have been paying attention," she replied.

They both walked up to the hare and Percy began skinning it. Atalanta helped out with pointers and how to make the creature less messy when they cooked it later. Atalanta told Percy that he was halfway done when they both heard a few loud roars.

Atalanta stood up and had her bow out in an instant. Percy stopped what he was doing and turned around, his bow his hands.

"What was that?" Percy asked quietly.

She stood on the tips of her toes and cursed. "Tigers. Those are feared animals throughout the world. We've been hunting so far out that I forgot there are plains nearby. They can probably smell the meat of the hare."

"Tigers?"

She nodded. "The adults are large, about this high." She put her hand horizontally across his chest. His eyes widened. Atalanta turned back to the direction of the plains. "I will try to keep the tigers busy. You continue skinning the hare."

"No, I'll keep them busy," Percy said. "We cannot afford to lose the hare meat. You still have the conch shell? Blow it when you are ready to leave."

She gave him a dark look. "One day your sacrifices will be your end."

"One day. That doesn't mean today."

"But it could."

"Whatever. Just skin the hare and blow the conch shell when you are done."

Then Percy crept off towards the plains, where Atalanta was looking at. He brushed through the forest, climbing up trees for a vantage point. He leaped from the branch of one tree to another and looked down. He nearly fainted when he saw the tigers. They were definitely adults, the large creatures sniffing around for the meat. Percy gulped and pulled his bow out. He nocked an arrow before aiming at the tiger than was standing still.

"Aim for the head," he whispered to himself.

He pulled back on the arrow and let it fly. Immediately, he reached for another arrow. He pulled back and aimed at the same tiger, which now had an arrow embedded in its head. He shot another arrow, just in case the animal was still alive. Its counterpart was now looking around wildly for the attacker. Before it knew what was happening, Percy uncapped Anaklusmos and leaped down from his position on the tree and stabbed the tiger right through its head.

It died silently, not making a single sound.

Percy rolled off the tiger tiredly and grabbed his two arrows back. He made sure both animals were dead before he called for Atalanta.

"I killed the tigers, Atalanta!" he said. "They are very scary!"

About a minute later, an impressed Atalanta appeared, holding the skinned hare in one hand. She looked around at the messy carnage of the dead beasts. "That is..._very_ impressive. You managed to kill two of the largest animal in the world. Nice job."

"Being up on the branch of that tree helped." Percy pointed up to the tree he had been situated on. "I took out the first tiger with my bow and arrow before stabbing this tiger with Anaklusmos. Anaklusmos is the first sword I have ever used that fits me perfectly."

"I guess the celestial bronze is better for you," the daughter of Iasus muttered.

"Celestial what?"

"Celestial bronze." She raised an eyebrow. "Do you not know what celestial bronze is?"

"Um...no."

She laughed.

Percy frowned. "Tell me. What is it?"

Atalanta shook her head in disbelief. "I cannot believe you don't know what it is. Can't you sense the magic element?"

"Magic element?"

"Yes, celestial bronze is a magical element mined from Mount Olympus," she explained. "It is usually covered in a layer of something called the Mist, but some heroes, like Jason and I, can see through the Mist. We are mortals, so we shouldn't be able to see through it. But we can."

"Wait...what are you talking about?"

"I will explain it to you later." She looked down at the tigers. "Are you up for tiger meat?"

"Uh...no thanks."

* * *

Apparently, there was this metal called celestial bronze that is deadly to monsters, animals and can affect demigods, like Percy. It cannot hurt lesser mortals though, so Percy would have to learn to wield a regular sword to be able to attack regular mortals. He didn't really like the sound of that.

Then there was this thing called the Mist. It obscured mortals from being able to see magical things like monsters and the gods, but some mortals could see right through it. Mortals like Jason, Atalanta, and even his mother. She'd known that a hellhound was attacking her. She could see right through the Mist.

Either way, Percy found it all too confusing. He prayed to his father to have Anaklusmos melded with regular bronze so that his weapon could attack mortals as well, if he ever got into a battle. In fact, he even prayed to Ares.

Percy didn't expect the gift to come soon, but he was hoping that it would eventually come. He sacrificed the sword to both of them through the water. With a soft golden glow, Anaklusmos disappeared.

Now, all Percy had was a bow and a knife. He knew he really had to practice with these to be able to be effective in battle.

A full year passed before the Boreads came back, Percy now just twelve years of age. One year and a half passed since the beginning of the quest, making Percy more skilled in his water powers. One thing Percy hoped for, though, was a safe trip home. He did not want to spend more time out on this quest, making him age even further.

Jason looked older now, dark bags under his eyes from leading the _Argonauts_ with a lack of sleep. Most of the other _Argonauts_ looked tired and older now, a group that had matured as a whole. Everyone was glad to move on with the quest, but they also knew that the stakes were higher now. They were older, more tired, but at the same time more mature and had a better understanding that getting home would mean working really hard.

Calaïs and Zetes looked exhausted, their one year journey apparently cut short by Iris, who swore to the Styx that the harpies would never bother Phineas again. If Iris had not shown up, they would have had to wait even longer.

Then Phineas told Jason the trick of getting past the Symplegades.

"It is very easy." The seer held up a cage that everyone had noticed when he arrive. A lone dove was in there, but it looked healthy and alive, much the opposite of the _Argonauts_. "When you approach the Symplegades, stop and let the dove fly through the rocks. If it gets through, you can get through. If it dies and gets crushed, well...I'm not sure what happens next. But I assure you, the dove will get through...and so will you."

"Thank you, Phineas," Jason said, though he looked a little nervous about the possibility of not being able to get through.

"Good luck in finding the Golden Fleece, and always remember your promises," he advised. "Never break them. They will have terrible consequences."

His words eerily reminded Percy of a dream he had years ago. It had involved Lady Styx and a burning man. She had reminded him, _Be careful what you promise, for drastic consequences will ensue_.

In the morning the next day, the _Argo_ set sail for the Symplegades. When they reached the rocks, they let the dove free. It flew right in between the rocks and then the rocks slammed together at full force. When the rocks opened up again, the dove had made it through, a lone feather floating behind it.

So then, Jason ordered the crew to back the _Argo_ up, to get a speedy run-through. When at a good distance away, everyone rowed with all of their might. The _Argo_ sped through the water and seemed to fly right between the Symplegades. The rocks smashed just as they passed through, taking a small part off of its stern. But they had made it through.

When Percy and Jason looked back at the clashing rocks, they had suddenly stopped moving.

They waited for it to move again, but when it didn't, a smile cracked on Jason's face. He turned to the rowers and crew of the _Argo_. "We have stopped the Symplegades! On our way back, we will not have to deal with it crushing us!"

The boat erupted with cheers and high-fives. Everyone congratulated each other. Soon enough, everyone excitedly went back to work, making the _Argo_ tear through the water faster than any boat had gone before, the will and the strength of the _Argonauts_ finally paying off.

"Welcome to the Euxine Sea," Tiphys called. "We will near Colchis in only a couple of days, that is, if we do not have any hold ups."

Percy turned to Jason. "This is the most challenging part of the quest."

Jason nodded. "It will be. But like Atalanta said, _Have a strong will and you will be able to accomplish whatever you desire_. You were right about letting her on the _Argo_, Percy. Without her, I don't think we would have been able to find enough food. Plus, you are getting the hang of archery and hunting. With your water powers, I think that you will become a great hero someday, Percy."

"I still have a long way to go," Percy sighed. "Just like we do on this quest. But it is all going to be all right. Like when we were back at Chiron's...a team, promise?"

"Promise."

Then Jason and Percy hugged, a brotherly hug, ready to approach the most challenging part of the quest.

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above.**

**Later on, I might actually decide that Percy may have a pairing in this story, so in a couple chapters I will be shutting down the poll about the "Trojan War" story and starting one up about pairings. I will choose what I want, but I would like your opinions on it.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	9. Through the Euxine

**Hey everyone,**

**I'd like to announce that although some myths contradict with others, I may need to change the order in which historical myths took place to be able to fit the characters I want into the story.**

**Although the setting is ancient Greece, I will make the characters talk in English and informally, as if they were regular boys/men or girls/women in the modern world. It makes writing this a little bit easier, and the characters more relaxed than if they talked formally all the time.**

**I would like all of you avid readers to vote for the poll. That's right, there is a poll up on my profile page regarding this story. It is regarding pairings. I have figured out a couple of ways that Percy might be able to pair up with someone fairly soon through this story, even if getting to know them is a little short. It will be a quick process in terms of the chapters as I jump from the end of the _Argonautica_ right into the Trojan War if you as the readers choose a girl that is available in the ancient times. If the modern girls are chosen, then it will be a different story. Either way, vote vote vote! Vote, vote, vote!**

**_Just a note about copying and pasting author's notes...in the past, I have had readers who did not read the author's notes until later chapters. I just want to keep reminding. If you have already seen the author's notes, you can just skip them and go straight to reading the story. Thank you._**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Through the Euxine**

Percy knew their trip would be dangerous. He didn't expect it to involve boxing matches, deaths, exiled men and metal birds.

As soon as the _Argo_ passed through the Symplegades, Tiphys made a wrong turn. He knew the helmsman had caught a minor flu or something of that sort, but he didn't expect the man to lose his sense of direction. Ancaeus helped them get back onto track when they suddenly neared a small kingdom.

At the beach, Jason saw men with bows and flaming arrows pointing at the direction of the ship. He ordered immediately for the _Argo_ to beach and see what the commotion was. There had been no mention of another pit stop on the other side of the Symplegades.

So, abiding by Jason's rules, the _Argo_ was beached and everyone got off. The soldiers grunted and led them back to the city after taking their weapons away, where they expected to meet a king of some sort in the palace. Instead of going straight to the palace, the soldiers let them down a dirt road back to some sort of arena where the _Argonauts_ saw a giant of a man beating up skinny-looking people. Percy made a sour face. Even as the king, he had no right to kill innocent people like that. He saw the mountain-man grab the skinny man's neck and the skinny man's head, then with a sickening crunch, they became a head and a headless body.

"I need someone to box," the man grunted. "Beating up lawbreakers isn't fun enough anymore."

"My king!" the lead soldier called. "We have many men here! You will be able to fight them all if you wish."

The king turned around to see the _Argonauts_ approach, all of them looking at the man with wary eyes. Percy wondered if the man was sent from the Underworld to torture his own men for eternity. Then he wondered if this was how barbarians acted. It was a possibility that the kingdom was overrun by barbarians after the city had been sacked.

The king grinned. "Welcome strangers. I am king Amycus of the Bebryces, a mighty tribe of the east."

Percy couldn't resist. "You're king? More like some peasant who beats people weaker than him up to make himself feel better."

Amycus growled, and a soldier turned to Percy. The soldier smacked the hilt of his sword against Percy's head, knocking the twelve-year-old boy to the ground. Percy's head rang and vibrated like brass bells.

"Hey, don't hit him like that," Jason snarled.

"This is _my_ land!" shouted the king. "He will get the punishment he deserves for insulting the mighty king of the Bebryces."

"_Mighty king of the Bebryces_, my _proktos_," the son of Aeson said with gritted teeth. "You don't know about anything, _my king_. Kill your own people like that. I bet that they only pissed you off, not lawbreakers."

"Insulting the king IS AGAINST THE LAW!" Amycus bellowed. "I should kill you as well, but I care little for you. You look as weak as that little twelve-year-old boy over there. You should go hide in shame you little nuisance. You would be doing the gods a favor. All I care for is the champion of you, the sea-wanderers. I demand that you fight me in a boxing match."

"You don't even know who we are," Jason growled.

"I DON'T CARE!" He walked up to the bold, young man and grabbed him by his collar. He closed his hands on Jason's neck, suffocating him. "You will shut up or I will grab you again and snap your neck. Or maybe I should do to you what I did to him." He pointed at the headless body.

As Jason was thrown to the ground, Percy was roughly picked up by Amycus' soldiers and pushed back into the crowd of _Argonauts_. Many were knocked over and they all glared at the soldier, who in turn ignored them. As Percy got up, he heard the Dioscuri (That's Castor and Polydeuces if you don't recognize the name.) muttering to one another.

"Let me challenge him, Castor," Polydeuces said.

Castor shook his head. "No, brother. You know very well what Amycus could do to you."

"This is not about my safety," the son of Zeus growled. "This is about the lack of respect Amycus gives us. He needs to be taught a lesson. I do not mean to bring this up, but I am the son of Zeus, while you are not. I am able to handle myself, Castor."

"And I am the son of a Spartan king," the other brother retorted. "The fiercest fighters in all of Greece, the Spartans are."

"After the Myrmidons," replied Polydeuces.

"Whatever, but what if you die, brother? What then?"

"Then you challenge him."

"You know as well as I do that _that_ is a _horrible_ idea. The _Argonauts_ cannot lose two members just to teach someone a lesson, even if the man is horrible enough to deserve eternal punishment."

Polydeuces exhaled slowly. "I must do this. It is the only way we will be able to get off of this land."

Percy turned his attention back to Amycus. "Who is your champion? Who is the leader of your group?"

He saw Polydeuces emerge out of the crowd next to Jason, who was breathing heavily, trying to take in as much air as he could. "I am, king Amycus. I accept your challenge of a boxing match."

The king turned to Polydeuces and grinned. "My, my. Look who we have here. I really don't care, so let us get to the boxing match. Into the ring, my boy."

The stupid thing about Amycus' soldiers was that they abandoned their positions guarding the _Argonauts_ and went to one side of the arena to watch the boxing match. They also left the _Argonauts_' weapons lying on the ground over five paces away from the nearest soldier. When Amycus led Polydeuces into the arena, and everyone was focused in on the match, Percy led Jason, Theseus and Atalanta to sneak around to grab the weapons back for the _Argonauts._ Since Percy was the smallest of the crew, he was the one picking up the weapons and dropping them another five paces towards the _Argonauts_.

It was a slow process, but Percy managed to complete it while watching the match.

Immediately after the boxing match started, Amycus came at Polydeuces with all of the strength he had...which was a lot considering the man was at least two heads taller than his opponent. The son of Zeus had to use his speed and quickness to avoid getting punched straight in the face. Agility was also necessary.

Atalanta tapped Percy's shoulder and whispered, "You and I are going to take cover. When Polydeuces wins, Amycus' soldiers will charge him. We have to let arrows fly to temporarily scare them. Then Jason and Theseus will lead the rest of the crew in to drive them back to the city."

"Wait, we're going to take cover?"

"No, I meant we are going to cover them."

Percy raised a mischievous eyebrow at Atalanta and smirked. "How do you know Polydeuces will win? Are you his soul mate?"

Her face went red, though out of embarrassment or anger was unclear to the son of Poseidon. "He needs to. I am not indicating anything else besides that he needs to win, otherwise we will not be able to escape without suffering some severe damages to the _Argo_."

"All right, all right." He put his hands up in surrender. "I respect your wishes, Lady Atalanta."

"Good, now stay sharp."

Then she left him alone to watch the boxing match.

Amycus was strong and had very hard punches. The only problem for him was that...that was all he had. He had no skill other than punching people's heads until they bled brain parts. Polydeuces, on the other hand, had a lot of skill. He would dash in and out, jabbing quick but hard punches to Amycus' face, which only made the king's anger grow.

Amycus snarled and raised both fists up. He stepped forward and smashed his hands down to crush Polydeuces. Unfortunately for him, the son of Zeus had simply dodged to the side and delivered hard blows to Amycus' left cheek.

Percy heard unnerving shuffling from Amycus' soldiers. He brought an arrow out and nocked it, but tried to make it so that they wouldn't notice him. When the shuffling seemed to cease, he turned his attention back to Amycus and Polydeuces.

Amycus managed to land a blow on Polydeuces, knocking the latter to the ground. The king's soldiers cheered as Amycus went up to deliver the final blow. Luckily, the son of Zeus regained his wits and rolled to the side, just as Amycus tried stepping on him.

Polydeuces growled. "You call that boxing? When one goes down in boxing, the other waits for the first to get up. You disregard the rules completely."

"My land, my rules," replied the cocky king.

"So be it," Polydeuces sneered. Then he stepped forward and delivered a huge blow to Amycus' gut.

The king doubled over clutching his stomach. Polydeuces took that to his advantage. He drove an uppercut into Amycus' face, making Amycus recoil up, clutching his face. Not being able to see, he did not sense Polydeuces' fist until it made contact with his cheek, sending a tooth flying out of the mountain-man's mouth. As Percy watched Polydeuces, he swore that the son of Zeus glowed golden, his eyes seemingly crackling with electricity.

Punch after punch after punch, the king Amycus still stood, but everyone could tell that this was the end. Polydeuces was beginning to power up now, his body ever so golden and eyes so blue. He ended up hitting Amycus' temple, sending the king stumbling before a devastating and fatal uppercut was delivered, the crack of Amycus' neck heard even from where Percy was.

Stunned silence filled the arena for two seconds before Amycus' soldiers bellowed with rage. "You killed our king!" one screamed, before they all pulled out their swords and spears, and then charged at Polydeuces.

Before they could advance five paces, three men were downed by arrows, one courtesy of Percy and two courtesy of Atalanta. The arrows kept flying as the _Argonauts_ charged at the Bebrycian soldiers. The sudden attack threw the Bebrycians into confusion and before they knew what was happening, the _Argonauts_ slaughtered them all.

"Back to the _Argo_!" Jason commanded. Theseus took the lead, like usual, leading most back to the ship. Percy, Atalanta and Jason stayed behind to help Castor and Polydeuces.

"You did good back there," Jason told Polydeuces. "At the end you were literally glowing golden."

"Help from Athena," the son of Zeus panted. "She's the shrewd companion of heroes. Said she gave me a little help, and so did my father."

"That's great," his twin brother said. "But we need to get back to the ship. You in good shape to run? Or I can carry you on my back."

"I can run, just like training, Castor." Both of the twins grinned, which made Percy feel a little better that they could remember better times in a situation like this.

Immediately, once reaching the _Argo_, everyone, including Atalanta and Percy, helped get the ship out of Bithynia as fast as they could, advancing on with the Quest for the Golden Fleece. Rowing with some sort of renewed effort, the _Argonauts_ were out at sea again for another day before taking a rest in nearby lands called Mariandyne.

* * *

Death was inevitable in a quest like this. The _Argonauts_ were bound to be attacked by monsters one day. Today was that day.

It started out regularly, Percy training with his hunting and water powers. They had set up camp alongside a small creek that Percy practiced with. He stopped the stream from flowing, making the water evaporate into water vapour and then he made the creek overflow by stopping it at a certain spot. He realized he was endangering the lives of the fish who lived in the creek, but he thought it cool to be able to control the creek.

Then he went to the Euxine Sea to practice more of his water powers.

He stepped into the ocean, which made his body surge with power. He morphed a blob of water into a sword and made the water solidify. He knew that it would be hard to maintain the solid-like state on land, so he wanted to do it in the water where the power of the ocean would help fuel his body's strength.

From point on, he just practiced sword fighting, whirling around like a maniac or even a demon to attack the air around him. Then Percy summoned his own miniature storm, a vortex of wind and water swirling around him. Like with all his powers, the cyclone fed off the water, seemingly drawing all of its power from the liquid.

Once he got the miniature storm going comfortably, he made a bold move. Percy stepped out of the water, keeping the storm going. He could feel the energy rush drain from him and the power needed to keep the storm going sapping even more energy from him. He wildly swung at the air around him, pretending that there were enemies that he was toppling.

When he felt his energy droop down into near unconsciousness (which happened quite quickly), into exhaustion, he collapsed on the ground making the storm around him disappear. Breathing heavily, he sat on the ground in silence, just staring out at the ocean.

At that very moment, Jason and Theseus emerged out of the forest looking as pale as ever.

"Close all tents but the lunch tent," Jason ordered. "We need to get packing, quickly."

Theseus immediately rushed to the nearest tent and began disassembling it. Most were confused as to why the two men were so panicked that they sat there staring at them for at least ten seconds before Jason shouted, "This is a matter of life or death. Let's go! Go!"

Everyone jumped up and began helping disassemble tents. There were a lot of them, but in the end, all of the tents would make it on board. The _Argonauts_ had a quick snack for lunch before that tent was taken down as well. A man named Idmon was doing it.

As Percy helped him stuff the tent into its cover, he saw Ancaeus approach Jason. "Sir, Tiphys is not doing well. He would not even get up for the past few hours. I fear that he may be passing on."

Percy went wide-eyed. He had forgotten about Tiphys, who he thought would recover from that "minor flu." Apparently, it had gotten worse and was threatening to take his life away from him.

The trees behind them began rustling, and the ground began rumbling, as if a giant were coming to charge at them.

Theseus gave Jason a worried look.

The son of Aeson nodded and turned to Ancaeus. "We have a larger problem to deal with. In terms of steering the ship, I am sure you will be able to handle the job on your own. You will just need a small helping hand. I am sure Percy will be willing to help."

Percy was ready to protest and say that he wanted to practice his water powers rather than help navigate the _Argo_, but the rumbling grew loud and the trees rustled and cracked. Fearful eyes turned to the forest before Atalanta shouted from the boat, "Watch out!"

Jason, Theseus and Ancaeus turned to run, but Idmon was too slow to react and Percy was petrified. Out of the forest emerged a giant boar that charged at the two slow-pokes. Percy dove to the side as Idmon, who was carrying the tent was sent flying. The son of Poseidon scrambled away as the boar reared like a horse and squealed. It turned its eyes to Percy and charged.

Then son of Poseidon just managed to avoid being turned into a dead carcass. As the boar tried stopping, an arrow sprouted from its butt. Percy looked up at the boat and saw Atalanta shooting at the boar.

"Hurry!" she urged. "Get to the boat!"

Percy got up and scrambled towards the boat. He climbed up the hull and leaped over the gunwales. He grabbed his bow and took aim at the boar. He let some arrows fly and nailed the beast in its eye. He grinned at Atalanta. "My aim is getting better and better every day."

"Yes it is," she smiled. "I'm proud of you."

They were still smiling until a worried shout came from Jason and Theseus, who were helping tend to Idmon's body that had been thrown aside. "He's dying! We can't leave. We must give him a burial! Try killing the boar."

"No," shouted Atlanta. "Get on the boat. We cannot kill this as easily as you would think. We will give them a proper burial up ahead. If he dies on the _Argo_, he has to be buried at the next stop, the nearest land."

Jason grimaced when he looked down at Idmon, who looked to be breathing. Then he picked the man up and told Theseus to grab the tent. They ran for the _Argo_. Some of the crew helped them load the cargo on and to quickly burst away, Percy controlled the waves so that it would suck them back into the water. The _Argonauts_ turned the _Argo_ around before Percy summoned a large wave that sent the ship speeding across the waters. The son of Poseidon, now extremely exhausted, flopped to the deck like a fish.

"Percy! Are you okay?" Atalanta asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just used too much energy."

Percy sat up and crawled slowly over to Idmon, who was whispering something that was inaudible to him. As he crawled closer, he realized Idmon was saying, "I saw my death, but I joined the quest anyways. I'm sorry, Jason."

"You were a seer," Jason gasped. "You could...you knew..."

Idmon slowly nodded. "Tiphys. Where is he? He...he..."

Then the second seer they ever knew stopped moving, the wounds he'd sustained internal. Jason closed the man's eyes before someone rushed to the top deck. He had a panicked look on his face. Percy recognized him as Peleus.

"Tiphys," the son of Aeacus said, catching his breath. "He...he's stopped breathing. He's dead."

* * *

Death had taken its toll on the _Argonauts_, most feeling wary of what was to come ahead when dealing with obtaining the Golden Fleece. Most figured that it would be a huge challenge and something that would be near impossible. Jason thought somewhat of the opposite. He thought positively, that the quest would be a success. He was willing to sacrifice for the sake of the quest and tried raising the spirits of the other _Argonauts_.

They had stopped just down the beach and buried Tiphys and Idmon, giving them elaborate ceremonies. Everyone gave them some sort of prayer in the afterlife, hoping Hades would judge them fairly. Most heroes would enter Elysium, they knew.

The departure from Mariandyne was long, a lot of men even more tired than they already were. Percy himself was feeling worn out, the feeling of knowing more things and becoming more mature starting to become natural. He knew that even though he was only two years older, he wasn't as "fun" as he was when he was younger. At the time, he'd wondered why Jason had changed so much. Now he knew why.

"The more you know in life, the tougher it becomes living it," he told Atalanta. "Especially when you're so young and you learn of things that you shouldn't know."

"In this world, yes," the daughter of Iasus agreed. "I am not certain if there is another world of some sort, but if there was, I wonder if it differs from us."

"Differs how?"

Atalanta exhaled and looked down. "I have come to think of a lot of things since we left on this quest. That was a year and a half ago. Meleager, my thoughts of him may be disappearing, though I can still remember his face and name. I no longer have that necklace. I lost it. In a way, I would like to start my life anew, a life without danger. A life where it is easier to keep yourself warm and fed. Like a machine of some sort that helps with cooking and things like that."

"A machine?"

"Yes, something like the fabled Talos, a machine like that except helpful," she said.

Percy knew the legends of Talos, a giant man made of bronze. He was to guard Europa of Crete, circling around the island three times a day. He never wanted to approach Crete as he assumed that the giant machine would crush him like a bug.

"Wouldn't that be great," Percy sighed.

"Yes, it would."

As they sailed on for the rest of the day, Percy became a lookout of some sorts, watching where the boat was heading and shouting positions to Ancaeus, who was busy trying to navigate using the map. It was a little rougher now that Tiphys was gone and couldn't help with direction finding, but Percy knew where they were on the water...roughly...and was able to tell if they were on course or not. He'd always had that power but it seemed more...noticeable now.

Just as nightfall came, half the _Argonauts_ went to bed. The other half stayed and slowly rowed, allowing the wind to do most of the work. The _Argo_ moved slowly, seemingly at a crawling pace, but it would be good enough for now. Percy knew that if they went too fast with such a small crew above deck, it would prove disastrous should they run into trouble.

Percy, who was tired like half of the _Argonauts_ decided to sleep, resting up for the night. He had more dreams, this time about a beautiful island full of white marble buildings and with that enchanted feeling, then about a swirling whirlpool in the water next to giant cliffs, to finally about Zoë, the mysterious Hesperide that Heracles had said he wanted to marry.

He awoke groggily, walking up to the upper deck. He was ready and expecting another dull day full of stupid dangers, but he ended up seeing something he didn't expect. Well, something he maybe should have expected because of all of the crazy things that had happened. Either way, he saw four young men walking with weapons sheathed and bags slung over their backs.

Apparently, so did most of the _Argonauts_. They called for Jason who ordered them to land at shore to greet the strangers. Jason said he sensed that they were not bad men. Percy had doubts, but they were quickly turned around when he met them.

"Hello, sirs!" Jason called. He leaped off of the _Argo_. "Might I ask, what are you four doing walking in the middle of nowhere?"

The oldest looking one seemed to push his younger companions back, as if backing away from danger. "Who are you and what do you want with us?"

Jason, surprised at the sudden hostility, stuttered. "Um...well, I am, uh, Jason. I am the leader of the _Argonauts_. We are headed to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece as a deed for me to gain my throne back from my uncle, who stole it."

"Colchis?" the man suddenly perked up. "I—Do you have food? And medical supplies?"

"Yes, we do," the son of Aeson nodded.

The man looked back at his younger companions, who looked eager to come along. He turned back to Jason and stuck his hand out. "My name is Argos and these are my brothers. We are the sons of the exiled Greek hero Phrixus. We were caught in a shipwreck earlier and washed up ashore. We managed to steal weapons from the Amazons and a few supplies. We have been trying to survive ever since. It has not been going so well."

"Do not worry," Jason assured. "On the _Argo_, you have nothing to worry about. We will take you in as if you were with us the entire trip. It will all be fine, though there are some risks."

"What are they?"

"I assume you wish to escape Colchis because of the exile of your father, which is sad to hear, knowing that the man was a great hero," Jason said. "In escaping Colchis, there are risks that we may not be able to reach Greece as quickly as you might hope. Are you willing to come with us past Colchis?"

"We want nothing but to get to Greece," Argos said. "We must redeem our father and find out about our step-grandmother, Ino."

"That is great," Jason smiled. "Welcome to the _Argo_."

Argos looked at the bireme and whistled. "That is a mighty fine vessel there. I have never seen anything that looks so fearsome. This might just be—"

A loud, metallic screech was heard, cutting him off. Percy looked around wildly, watching to see what had made the noise. Then he saw something that chilled his blood. Birds with glowing red eyes were glaring straight at the _Argo_, as if ready to attack it. They were hidden in the trees, Percy not being able to notice them before. Normally, someone would just pass them off as regular birds, but Percy being able to see the glowing red eyes immediately knew these were monsters.

"Stymphalian birds!" a voice shouted.

Seemingly as a group, the birds launched out of the trees, rising straight up before curving in an arc downwards, like an arrow of some sort.

"Get armor!" Atalanta shouted, just as the birds dive-bombed the _Argo_, pecking at its occupants. The men on board screamed as the metal birds pecked at their flesh. Percy had one cut his arm, a gash that went from his elbow to halfway up to his shoulder. He bit back a cry of agony, but the birds kept on coming so quickly that he eventually had multiple flesh wounds.

In a scrambled panic, he ran downstairs to the armor room, listening to Atalanta's advice. He grabbed a bunch of armor and threw them right outside the door to the armor room. He went back inside to grab a couple of shields to help protect the _Argonauts_ when something glimmered in front of him.

As the glimmering grew brighter, he shielded his eyes to protect himself from the bright light. After a flash of gold, he brought his arm down from protecting his eyes, and his jaw dropped. In front of him was Athena herself, appearing in what he thought was to help the _Argonauts_.

"You may be a son of Poseidon, but I am the companion to heroes," the goddess spoke, her voice powerful and strong. "To scare off the birds, you must do to them what Heracles did months ago. Make a lot of noise." A sword and the shield Aegis appeared in her hands. Percy cowered away from the shield, but saw that the goddess was pounding them together, making a _clanging_ noise. "Make noise."

Then the goddess disappeared.

Wild-eyed, he picked up a sword and a shield and hit them together. Like Athena had done, he created this loud _clanging_ noise. Then, he slowly got into a rhythm, pounding the sword and shield together. Once he found his stride, he made his way above deck, stilling pounding the sword and shield together.

All of the Stymphalian birds around him started squawking like crazy, as if they were annoyed by the sound. Around Percy was some sort of sphere of protection, the Stymphalian birds flocking away from him to attack others. When the _Argonauts_ realized what he was doing, they went downstairs to do the same thing.

Eventually, everyone on the _Argo_ began doing it, scaring the Stymphalian birds away. Percy had the lead and did not stop pounding his shield until they could not see any of the metal birds anymore.

"They're gone!" Percy declared.

A cheer came up from the _Argonauts_, whose cries echoed in the sky before it slowly settled into calmness.

* * *

As Argos and his younger brothers were herded onto the ship, many were healed with medical supplies. Percy and the other demigods on the ship simply drank nectar and ate ambrosia to help cure their injuries.

Later that night, while he was staring out at the water, something light fell on his head. He heard it clatter to the deck, where it sat still. In the dark, he could not see the item very well, but when he pulled it out of the shadows of the gunwale, the light of Selene helped him see what had fallen.

It was a hair clip, with a note tied to it, a scroll of papyrus paper.

Percy smiled, opened it and read it:

_Dear Perseus,_

_Hello, Percy. I see that you now have this sword, Anaklusmos. I believe it holds the power of Pleione, the mother of the Hesperides. Do not think I do not know of Heracles' failure, but the son of Zeus giving you this is a treat you should savor. Most sons of Zeus are not that generous, though the first Perseus was all right. I have elicited the help of Ares and Hephaestus to help you turn this sword into a molded sword that contains both mortal bronze and celestial bronze. As a favor to me for this deed, do not die. It is all I ask for, Percy. Use it wisely, something Athena should help you with as you go on quests_.

_Hello, little runt. Apparently Old Barnacle Beard wants my help in getting this sword molded with bronze and celestial bronze. It is not my kind of thing to do metal casting, more of the job of the god of the forges. Don't get me wrong, I'm dating his wife, but Hephaestus is not so bad for a loser. I enchanted the sword so that it holds all of the power from the Hesperide, plus it can channel all of your powers, like storms and earthquakes. Trust me, though, you don't want to try to make earthquakes yet. You'll probably kill yourself trying to do it. I hear you are an excellent sword fighter. Maybe one day we will see how good you really are. Later, runt._

_I do not usually talk to living organisms, so I will keep this brief. I molded your sword with mortal bronze so you can kill mortals. Have fun, I guess._

_From,_

_Poseidon, Ares and Hephaestus._

Although the different paragraphs did not indicate who wrote that part, it was fairly easy to determine who _had_ written it. The first paragraph was my father, the second the war god, and the third was Hephaestus.

He smiled and grabbed the hair clip in a fist, watching as the clip turned into a bronze sword. It did not look much different, but the aura of the weapon was now different. The aura was much darker, two opposing metals fused together. But Percy knew he would need it. He had a feeling that he would be dealing with mortals sooner or later.

"Colchis ahead!" someone shouted.

Percy looked up just as the sun began rising, a palace glimmering in the distance, up a river. He knew that this was the furthest east they would get, the chance that they would get to retrieve the Golden Fleece. This marked the halfway point of the quest, a year and a half.

And Percy was ready for anything that they threw his way.

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above.**

**Later on, I might actually decide that Percy may have a pairing in this story, so I have started one up about pairings. I will choose what I want, but I would like your opinions on it.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	10. By the Order of the Gods

**Hey everyone,**

**I'd like to announce that although some myths contradict with others, I may need to change the order in which historical myths took place to be able to fit the characters I want into the story.**

**Although the setting is ancient Greece, I will make the characters talk in English and informally, as if they were regular boys/men or girls/women in the modern world. It makes writing this a little bit easier, and the characters more relaxed than if they talked formally all the time.**

**I would like all of you avid readers to vote for the poll. That's right, there is a poll up on my profile page regarding this story. It is regarding pairings. I have figured out a couple of ways that Percy might be able to pair up with someone fairly soon through this story, even if getting to know them is a little short. It will be a quick process in terms of the chapters as I jump from the end of the _Argonautica_ right into the Trojan War if you as the readers choose a girl that is available in the ancient times. If the modern girls are chosen, then it will be a different story. Either way, vote vote vote! Vote, vote, vote!**

**_Just a note about copying and pasting author's notes...in the past, I have had readers who did not read the author's notes until later chapters. I just want to keep reminding. If you have already seen the author's notes, you can just skip them and go straight to reading the story. Thank you._**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**By Order of the Gods**

A woman furtively entered her palace, another one closely following behind her.

She kept the cloak covering her face, not wanting anyone to notice who she was and what she was doing associating with the other woman who was following her. She urged the other woman to move faster, hurrying so that they could deliver the help they needed to deliver. She led the other woman into a secret room in the back which looked like an old library. The truth was that Athena had her own security measures and this room was private, no one daring to sneak into the maiden goddess' palace after the last break-in.

The goddess pulled the cloak off her head and let it sit on her shoulders. She nodded at the other woman who pulled her hood down. Those dark brown eyes watched Athena carefully as the goddess of wisdom grabbed a book from the shelves and placed it down on the table.

Before the woman could ask her question, Athena answered, "I come here often. It is a place where I can escape the outside world when I feel stressed. You will not tell anyone else about this place."

The woman narrowed her eyes at Athena. "I will respect your wishes, but do not dare to order me around like you are my superior."

"Very well, _stepmother_," she replied.

Hera gave her a cool stare. "We are on the same page here, Athena. There is no need for hostilities. We both wish to aid Jason in his quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece."

"Yes, but for different reason; however, that is besides the point." She scrolled through a few pages of the book she had taken down from the shelf. "You are right. We both wish to aid Jason in his quest for the Golden Fleece. That is why I brought you here. They have landed in Colchis and are anchored in the backwaters of the Phasis. To make themselves less noticeable, they have not set up camp. That is a good thing."

"Yes it is a good thing, but how will we help Jason _get_ the Golden Fleece," Hera asked. "He cannot simply head over to the tree. It is guarded by the Colchian drakon and will make a lot of noise if he tries to take it directly. King Aeëtes will not hand it over to him. He believes Phrixus brought a present from the gods and will hold it to the best he can."

"That is to the best he can," the goddess of wisdom pointed out. "If we can devise a plan, one that is almost flawless, the _Argonauts_ will be able to escape Colchis with the Golden Fleece without having to deal much with the king's forces."

"But _is_ there a plan of such caliber?"

"It is possible for them to escape with the Fleece...if they learn how to kill the Colchian drakon without raising the alarm," Athena mused.

"And how would they learn how to do that? You may be a companion to heroes, but even you have limits. Zeus only lets you help Heracles because he wants his son to have all of the glory. Jason is a mere mortal." Hera pointed out, bitterness lacing her voice when she spoke of her step-son.

"Zeus will never find out about it," she assured. "We can tell him how to kill the drakon."

"Do we know how to kill the drakon without raising the alarm, though?" the goddess of marriage asked. "Is there anyone powerful enough on the ship to help Jason slay the monster right away?"

Athena frowned. There were only around sixty _Argonauts_. Most were men of royal families who fought in battle, not as single hunters. The truth was, Greek military was in fact comprised of large units of soldiers who fought together. There were few men or women who could fight singlehandedly against a drakon, even with a small group helping him or her.

"Should we send all of the clear-sighted mortals to attack the drakon, so the beast does not smell the godly blood that a demigod would possess?" Hera suggested.

She shook her head. "No. They would make too much noise. Not even the _Argonauts_ could face Colchis' small army."

"Make too much noise?"

"Not even the strongest fighters from the _Argonauts_ together could defeat the Colchian drakon," Athena said. "Even if Jason, Theseus and Atalanta go together, they would not be able to defeat the drakon without causing a commotion."

"Just a second, Athena." Hera put her up to stop the wisdom goddess. "Let us backtrack a little bit. What are all of the options, the ways, that Jason can take the Golden Fleece?"

"They could just march straight through the city at their full number, kill the drakon with a few casualties, grab the Golden Fleece, fight their way back to the _Argo_ and escape," she said as option number one. "That would not work out unless Jason does not care for letting his men die. That would make him careless or it means Jason underestimates death."

Hera nodded, agreeing with Athena's logic. "All right, the next option?"

"They could negotiate with Aeëtes to try and persuade them to give them the Golden Fleece. It is doubtful that would work as I said before. Aeëtes will think Jason is trying to steal away from his kingdom. He would furious if Jason came to him. With no one to help them, Aeëtes would probably send Jason on a quest that will _definitely_ kill him. Not even you, his self-proclaiming protector, can stop that."

Something clicked in Hera's mind when Athena had said, _With no one to help them_, but she just had to work out the details. "Next," she said numbly.

"Or..." Athena's face lit up. "Jason and some of the _Argonauts_ could act as a distraction at King Aeëtes' palace and another group of _Argonauts_ could sneak around to the Colchian drakon to kill it while King Aeëtes is distracted. Trickery...that could work. Theseus could lead the other group, the one that kills the Colchian drakon. Jason just has to make sure to get the attention of all of Colchis."

Hera raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a..._thing_ for Theseus?"

The maiden goddess' eyes went as wide as dinner plates. "What? No! I—No, I don't...you—"

The Queen of the Gods chuckled, a first time Athena had seen that in a long time. "When he grows up to be a man, you should have a child with him. That would be amusing to see."

Athena's face turned red. "You would expect me to break my oath as a virgin?"

"Do not think I do not know of your _brain-children_," Hera said, a sly smile on her face. "I saw the day you gave birth to the child from your head and watched as you brought it down to the man you accidentally thought of. It was a mistake on your part, yet you have not regretted it, have you. You plan to make more children as time passes. I am counted as a part of being a goddess of motherhood in some cases, though most do not affiliate me with that. I know that being a mother is wonderful when you have children, though some turn out the exact opposite of what you expected."

"Ares and Hephaestus," Athena said.

"Yes. Both are disappointments."

They sat there in silence for a little while, thinking of what Hera had said. Athena remembered her first and, so far, only demigod child. It _was_ an accident, but Athena had watched over her daughter happily. She never thought being a mother would make her feel better. In all honesty, she believed love contradicted with wisdom, that love distorts the mind, but her child had made her proud. Her descendants still existed today, but where it had ended up made her feel very contradicted.

"When will you tell him?" Hera asked suddenly, breaking Athena out of her thoughts.

"What?"

The goddess of marriage gave her a sad smile. "When will you tell Percy that his mortal line comes from your first demigod daughter?"

Athena looked down at the table. She honestly didn't know. Ever since Athens came into existence, she and Poseidon had fought over it to become their patron. When he insulted her after she won, she knew they would have a long-lasting rivalry. Then years later, he comes together with her descendant and creates a child. She was baffled by the whole thing and tried to forget her mortal line. It was hard, though.

Athena knew that Poseidon had no idea that he had partnered with her descendant, probably only knowing she was a descendant of a god. Her own father had partnered with his _own_ descendant for the gods' sake.

"You must do it eventually." Hera awkwardly patted Athena on the shoulder. "But I have an idea of how we can get Jason the Golden Fleece. The trickery idea may be able to work, and we will make that happen if my idea does not work out. A backup plan."

"What is your idea?" Athena questioned.

"Medea."

The goddess of wisdom raised an eyebrow. "You mean the daughter of Aeëtes?"

"Yes. We can enlist Aphrodite's help to get her to fall in love with Jason to help him by being a spy. She will know what her father has planned as she is inside the palace."

For what seemed like forever, the wisdom goddess stared at the table in silence, her eyes like a storm swirling at speeds unrecognizable. Then she suddenly stood up, slammed her book shut and walked to the door.

"Where are you going?" Hera hissed, angered by the disrespect she thought Athena was giving her by walking away.

"To Aphrodite's palace; you might want to come with me because I do not want to talk to that slut."

* * *

Eros was in a bad mood. For the past week, he'd been arguing with his mother and fighting with his father. They had both turned against him when he did something supposedly "out of control."

Whatever Zeus wanted him to stop doing, he wouldn't stop. Sometimes that annoying king could learn not to be selfish and regard himself as better than everyone else. Even his own daughter found him a little too arrogant sometimes. He'd heard her speak to other gods and goddesses in private.

"Eros!" a shriek came from the main room of the palace.

Scowling, he slowly made his way to the main room where his mother was holding up leaden arrows with owl feathers. She was carefully holding them up, making sure she didn't touch the point. Leave it to his mother to be the goddess who has slept with almost every single man on Olympus.

"What are _these_ doing on the couch?" Aphrodite screamed.

"They are indifference arrows, mother," he said rolling his eyes. "So what?"

"_So what? SO WHAT?!_" Aphrodite's eyes blazed with rage. "What if I sat on one of them? And then the next person I see is a man! Do you know what could have happened then? You could have made me walk away from him in disgust! _Walk away! In disgust!_"

Eros scowled again. "Then _don't_ sleep with every man in the world. You don't have to be such a slut, mother."

"What did you call me?" the love goddess sneered, which looked weird on a usually pretty face.

"Don't sleep with every man you see aside from Hephaestus, then. Maybe then I won't call you what I did."

"You are already in big trouble, Eros," Aphrodite snapped. "When Zeus called meeting, you just _had_ to shoot me and Ares with love arrows. As we slept, we missed the meeting. Do you know how mad Zeus gets when an Olympian misses a meeting, never mind _two_?"

"You and Ares have the attention spans of a goldfish," Eros said, treading on thin ice. "You know, those carps in China that have an attention span of maybe two words?"

"We do not!" she replied hotly.

"Here, grab this mirror, mother."

He handed her a mirror, and she stared at him, glancing at the mirror out of the corner of her eyes. She tried the best she could to prove her son wrong. They stared at each other for what seemed like forever, Aphrodite's eyes darting back and forth between the mirror and Eros.

"Mother, you're a—"

It was too late for Aphrodite. "Oh my," she muttered. "I need more mascara here. My skin tone is not matching. This is not good. Eros, honey, could you please get me..." Then she realized her mistake.

"What did I tell you?" the winged god growled. "Your attention span is terrible. You could barely manage to listen to two words."

"There were three!" the love goddess exclaimed.

"'_A_' doesn't count."

"Yes it does!"

"No it doesn't."

"You are still in punishment, young man," Aphrodite snapped at last. "Get back to your room and stay in there. Give me all of your arrows and your bow. You are not going _anywhere_ for the next century, Eros."

"The next century?!" Eros' eyes widened. "That is unfair, mother. You cannot possibly—"

A knock on the door interrupted his arguing. Eros opened his mouth to argue some more, but Aphrodite sent him a menacing glare, a glare most others would never experience in their life, not even some of the other gods and goddesses. He slumped his shoulder and sulked as he made his way back to his room.

He admitted that he disliked his mother to a certain extent at times. She would always be sleeping with someone, whether it be some mortal or Ares or another god on Olympus. Eros may have been the god of love, but in truth he'd inherited more from his father than most would think.

Eros loved messing with people by shooting love arrows between people who should not have loved each other, which usually caused some minor chaos. He'd almost nailed Poseidon and Athena with love arrows, but Athena managed to catch him and together they managed to tie him up with celestial bronze bounds and left him in the middle of the road.

He wondered what would have happened if he'd managed to get the two with arrows. It would have been a hilarious sight, Zeus punishing Athena for breaking her oath and Zeus forever harassing his brother for seducing his favorite daughter.

Eros went into his room, brought his bow out, threw it on the floor outside his room, and did the exact same with his arrows.

What came fifteen minutes later was unexpected to the young-looking son of Aphrodite.

Aphrodite came into his room with Athena and Hera by her side. He looked warily at the Queen of the Heavens and the wisdom goddess.

He opened his mouth nervously. "Uh..."

"Aphrodite wants to say something," Hera stated. Athena kept silent.

The love goddess looked conflicted but she walked up to him and hugged him. Then she handed him something, an fabulous ball. It didn't look special at all, and he was about the toss it aside when Aphrodite said, "It is a fabulous ball, intricately fashioned so as to leave a trail like a falling star. I am sorry for snapping at you. Can we at least work out our differences?"

Eros looked at Hera and Athena, who were giving Eros blank stares. Then he realized Aphrodite's change of heart. "They want me to shoot someone with a love arrow." He grinned. "I'll do it."

"You will?" Hera asked surprised. "Just like that?"

"Yes, now who is my target?"

The Queen of the Heavens raised an eyebrow at his mother. Aphrodite just shrugged. "He takes after his father as well, queen Hera."

"Well then, Eros. Your target is Medea, daughter of Aeëtes of Colchis. She must fall in love with Jason, the leader of the _Argonauts_. I am sure you have seen their progression from Iolcus to Colchis."

"The _Argonauts_, huh?" Eros said. "I heard about them. Well, I'm off to do my duty. See you later, mother."

With a flash, Eros appeared over the _Argo_ invisible, watching over the crew of the _Argonauts_.

Eros _had_ in fact heard about the _Argonauts_. Their leader was Jason, the son of Aeson, who used to be the king of Iolcus until his half-brother Pelias overthrew him. Pelias slew all of Aeson's young sons except for the young Jason who was sent to Chiron to train until he was old enough to reclaim his throne. He heard the first female hero, a heroine, was also on the bireme. Her name was Atalanta. He remembered hearing of the girl from Artemis, yet also a man named Meleager. Eros planned to get the girl and Meleager to love each other sooner or later.

But he thought the most famous member of the quest was the young Perseus, named after the very first. He was a son of Poseidon, the enemy of Zeus and Hades. Eros had always thought the boy would be in terrible danger, but Zeus wanted to see what the boy would turn into, as his name was one of one of his previous sons. Zeus had been curious why Poseidon had named his son after one of Zeus'. Either way, Zeus let the boy live for now, the boy twelve years of age and turning thirteen later this year.

Every god and goddess knew of Percy, all waiting for Zeus' order to kill him. Eros was sure Poseidon would have a trick up his sleeve should Zeus choose to kill Percy. He was also sure it would not end pretty. Despite all this, Hestia vowed she would not get into the conflict unless it really meant much to her. She did not want the death of the child.

Eros did not know of the relationship between Hades and Percy, but he assumed Hades had children of his own that he did not want Poseidon touching.

He flew down to the helm of the ship where a small group was assembled. They were talking about how to approach the danger of retrieving the Golden Fleece.

"The stupidest way we can do this is just to take the Golden Fleece by force," the young boy Percy said. "That is like a suicide mission. Colchis' army will come to drive us out. Not even the bravest warriors of Greece can fight without casualties. If they are willing to die..."

"Percy is right," a tall man said. Eros recognized him as Jason. The man had a sword sheathed on his belt and brown eyes. "This is my quest, so I will not let anyone else die for me. From now on, I will be the first to sacrifice for anything. We must be able to persuade Aeëtes somehow. We can give it a shot, and if it doesn't work, we will have to steal the Fleece by force."

"That sounds like a good enough plan to me," another man said. Eros did not recognize him.

Then the girl, Atalanta, spoke up. "Wait. Do we have a detailed backup plan or are we just going with the flow?"

"Going with the flow can sometimes prove disastrous," a man Eros recognized as Theseus said. "Most of the time, having a plan will work out better, like planning like Athena."

Everyone stared at him. Jason said, "Athena?"

"Yeah."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why Athena?"

Theseus went pink. "Uh, well she always has a plan, right? She's the goddess of battle strategy."

Eros grinned slowly. A devious plan formed in his head, but he pushed it to the side, focusing on his current task first.

The leaders of the _Argonauts_ agreed on trying to persuade Aeëtes into giving them the Golden Fleece and as they departed the _Argo_, Eros flew overhead, watching as most of the _Argonauts_ followed Jason, Theseus, Atalanta and Percy to the palace of King Aeëtes.

They walked into the city limits and toward the palace, earning the attention of many of the citizens of Colchis. Before they could enter the palace, though, walking around the main courtyard, a woman called for the guards. Eros looked down at the woman and smiled. That was his target, Medea.

Still invisible, he flew down and knelt at Jason's side.

The _Argonauts_ had been halted and they waited a few minutes for the king and Medea's sisters to arrive. Before Medea could disappear from his sight, Eros took aim as she looked at Jason...then fired an arrow straight through her heart, just as her eyes laid upon Jason. He saw the sudden flood of fiery love enter her eyes and he laughed.

Then Eros dissolved from the scene, his deed done.

* * *

Jason felt angry even though he expected it.

Apparently Aeëtes wanted to give him a really tough challenge, one that seemed almost as daunting as the quest for the Golden Fleece was, even though of a lesser caliber. That was only after Jason had to deliver a soothing speech to calm the king down after seeing his grandsons with him. The king thought that they were conspiring to take away from the kingdom of Colchis.

Once Jason calmed him down, the king ordered that Jason must plough the Plain of Ares with fire-breathing oxen, sow four acres with dragon's teeth and finally cut down the crop of armed men before they can cut him down.

Many of the _Argonauts_ were wary for the son of Aeson, as he had promised that no one would die for his cause. Out of all of them, he'd known Percy the longest. The little boy he used to know was still there, but was kind of hidden. Jason knew Percy had never really experienced high danger quests. Lack of food was one thing, but Percy would stay up at night to practice his demigod abilities. He knew that there was a heavy toll on Percy's body because of that living style. Still, in the year in a half that the _Argo_ had been travelling away from mainland Greece, Percy had developed his powers much quicker than he had with Chiron. It was probably because the old centaur had tried to keep the young boy as safe as possible.

Percy looked like he wanted to steal the Golden Fleece himself to get it all over with, but Jason wouldn't let him. Despite everything that had happened, he still considered Percy his little brother. They would be partners forever. He'd promised it to the young boy.

The boy was looking out at the palace of Aeëtes, his face glum and dark. Still Selene made that childish part of him glow out. Jason did not know how to goddess did it, but he thanked her.

He walked over to Percy and tapped him on the shoulder. "Why so glum, Percy?"

The boy turned around and regarded Jason with tired eyes. "Just thinking about things. I promise Jason, I am ready for anything. I just feel...frustrated. I want so badly to just take on the Colchian drakon."

"Percy, you know how dangerous that is," Jason warned.

"And I knew how dangerous this quest was going to be," the boy replied. "Do you think I feel completely fine after Idmon's and Tiphys' deaths? I may seem indifferent, but the truth is that the terror of being out here is eating me from the inside. I am being brave not only for my sake, but to make you worry less. I am getting older, Jason. I want to fight."

"You will be able to, Percy," the son of Aeson said. "But fighting the Colchian drakon... It _is_ a drakon."

"I got Anaklusmos back, Jason," Percy insisted. "This is our final chance to get the Golden Fleece. Coming back is out of the question. If we come back, we become outlaws, to be hunted by the Colchians until we are dead. I _want_ to do something, Jason. That's what I have spent five and a half years of my life doing."

"What do you mean you got Anaklusmos _back_?"

"It doesn't matter," the son of Poseidon snapped. "If you die, this quest was for nothing. You will not be able to reclaim your throne. Yet the task you accepted is one of complete danger. You can die."

"I realize that, Percy, but do I have any other choice? Should the drakon be awakened, it will make so much noise that the entire Colchian army will come after us," Jason said. "Then there is the fact that the drakon would be hard to kill."

"Maybe. But we could do it. No one knows what we are capable of, not even the gods," Percy said. "We can show them. The Quest for the Golden Fleece...Pelias expected that you would have died. We have a chance of escaping, Jason. All of the odds were against us in this quest, but we have survived so far, Jason. What is to say we cannot defeat the Colchian drakon? We can succeed."

The boy's logic made sense. Jason knew that very well. All of the odds were against them. Not even Athena would have guessed that we could survive the quest without her help. Then his mind backtracked to an event that happened just yesterday.

"Percy, those Stymphalian birds yesterday...how did the idea of beating shields with swords come to you?" Jason asked.

He turned red in embarrassment. "It was actually Athena's idea. No one asked about it, but now that you do... She appeared in front of me when I was grabbing shields and armor. The birds were too busy attacking those who were trying to fight back, none of them followed me back down. Athena appeared with her sword and Aegis and beat them together, making a harsh sound. I tried it...and there is your answer."

"Athena...companion of heroes..." Jason muttered. Then an idea popped into his head. "Percy, you are brilliant!"

"I am?"

"Yes." He turned around and called for Theseus. He turned back to Percy. "Wait for Theseus to get here. I have a great idea that you two need to hear."

"What about Atalanta?" Percy asked.

"Oh." Jason turned around. "Get Atalanta as well!"

Just as he said that, two figures came running up the stairs to Jason and Percy. They looked worried. Theseus was the first to ask a question. "What is the matter, Jason? Why did you call me?"

"And me, even though I was already coming because Theseus was," Atalanta said.

"I have a plan to steal the Golden Fleece," Jason said. "While I do my hard tasks, you three will go and kill the Colchian drakon."

Theseus and Atalanta both went wide-eyed. "Are you crazy?" they chorused. "It's a drakon!" Realizing they spoke at the same time, they looked at each other a period of time a little longer than normal before looking away awkwardly, their faces a little pink.

"But Percy here, being the warrior he is, says that the odds of us surviving this quest out here to retrieve the Golden Fleece are slim to none, yet here we are," the son of Aeson pointed out, repeating what Percy told him.

"We can't pass up this opportunity, Theseus, Atalanta," Percy said. "This is the last chance we have to get the Fleece. If we come back, Aeëtes will hunt us until we are dead. He will never give it up."

"I can distract you guys, cause enough commotion so that no one will hear the wails of the drakon," Jason continued.

"How will you survive, though?" Theseus asked.

He inhaled deeply before exhaling loudly through his mouth. "I will pray to Hera and Athena. I am certain that those two goddesses are helping us in our efforts. I hope they listen."

"And what if they don't?"

Jason was hoping they wouldn't ask that. Unfortunately, it was something that could not be avoided. Jason honestly did not know what to do at that point. If he died... Percy was right. That would mean the entire quest was a waste. The whole purpose of this was for Jason to reclaim his throne. If he died, that would mean the end of the quest immediately. The _Argonauts_ would have to fight their way back home.

Just then, the air beside them shimmered. Each of them stared wide-eyed as one of the king's daughters appeared on screen. Medea, her name was. Jason could not help but feel somewhat attracted to the beautiful young woman, but he remembered the last time he almost gave in. That was on Lemnos.

The thing was that they were too shocked to even pull their weapons out to defend themselves from this magical image.

Medea seemed to catch onto their shock quite quickly. "It is an Iris-message. There is no time to explain, though." She looked around warily, as if she thought she was being watched. "Come to the temple of Hecate you saw on your way to the palace. The tryst will be there. Go now."

"Wait, what?" Percy said confused.

"Jason, you—" she pointed at him. "You must come to the meeting, alone. I have a way to help you survive what my father has ordered you to do. Please come, Jason. I swear to the River Styx that this is not a trap set by my father." She looked around her one more time before turning back to the message and smiling a kind, warm smile. Then she swiped her hand through the image and it disappeared.

Thunder rumbled in the distance suddenly, confirming that Medea was not lying.

"She may have sworn..." Theseus looked doubtful about the secret meeting that Medea had planned, quickly recovering from his shock about the Iris-message.

"It's worth a shot, Theseus," Jason said. "Maybe now you guys can enlist Athena's or Hera's help. That would be good for you guys, not me."

Theseus, who was now twenty, put his hand on Jason's shoulder. "Just be careful, Jason. We know you are older, so you should be able to handle it. We don't want you dying."

"I will be careful, Theseus. But this is a quest. Danger is inevitable."

Jason knew that his decision was sudden, that all that had recently happened had happened so quickly. He also knew that this was their one shot. He prayed to all of the gods that his plan would work in his favor and then snatched a cloak before leaping off the _Argo_.

The city was quiet. Most were asleep, but just to be safe, Jason stayed hidden in the shadows. Years of teaching from Chiron helped him navigate the darkness without much difficulty. He snuck through alleys and climbed the sides of buildings, looking for the temple of Hecate. Jason found it quickly, a shape formed of a crescent and a star standing high on the white marble building.

He looked around to make sure no one saw him before he sneaked to the side of the building where another hooded figure seemed to be waiting. When Jason approached, the figure pulled down her hood. Medea showed herself.

Jason pulled down his own hood in turn and then silence enveloped them. They became speechless as they took each other in. Then the stupidest question popped into Jason's mind.

"Why the temple of Hecate?"

She smiled softly. "I am a priestess here and am also a sorceress of some sort. I learned a little bit from my aunt, Circe. You may have heard of her in the far west. Past Thrinacia."

"Oh, a sorceress, you say? That's...enchanting."

Medea laughed. "A terrible joke, but a joke nonetheless."

Jason smiled as they fell into silence again. He felt like saying a whole lot of things to the daughter of Aeëtes, but the words wouldn't come out, as if they were trapped inside of his mouth.

Before long, a gust of wind blew through the alley making the two prop up a little. Then the words Jason wanted to say began spilling out like leaking water. "Medea. If you can help me, I would be forever indebted to you. I need your help if you offer it. I promise to make you famous throughout Greece, to make you my queen when we reclaim my throne in Iolcus."

She bit her lip and looked at Jason nervously. "I—Me...but... I honestly do not know what to say. Become your queen?" Then she stiffened up and bugged her eyes out, as if she was hearing a voice in her head. Soon, her eyes returned to normal and she told him, "Promise me that you will never betray me, that you will never forget my kindness. Promise me that I will be your queen until we both die."

"I promise, Medea," Jason said affirmatively.

"All right, then." She reached into her dress and pulled out a vial from between her breasts. "This vile with make you impervious to the fire and heat of the oxen." Then she pulled out a stone, a simple stone that had little to no quality...but it glowed. "This is a magical rock for when the skeletal warriors come for you. Throw it amongst them and they will ignore you. As for the drakon, I will be able to aid you if my father betrays his word."

"That may not be needed, but I will be grateful if it does." Jason took the items Medea brought out.

"What do you mean?"

"You will see. Just be prepared to run if the word comes."

"Wait, what—"

"I'm sorry, Medea, but if we stay any longer, your father may find out about your treachery," Jason said urgently. "I promise that I will be back for you though. I _will_ keep you as my wife until we both die."

The daughter of Aeëtes nodded, agreeing with him. "Yes, you are right. I should be going back. I will see you tomorrow, my hero." Then she pulled him into a kiss, his hands automatically going to her back where her waist sat. They savored the moment for a good minute before Medea ran back to the palace quietly, hoping to get back quickly and not be caught.

Jason smiled and turned. He nearly jumped, scared. Standing there with a stern glare was someone he had seen before. It was the old lady from the river in Iolcus. It was Hera.

The goddess glowed golden before transforming into a beautiful-looking woman with long, braided brown hair and commanding brown eyes. "I hope you understand that this is my gift to you. Athena and I hope that Medea can help you, but should you ever betray her in the future, remember that you will lose my favor. You will die alone without anyone. Everyone you once knew will leave you, even those closest to you."

Jason swallowed. "Yes, Lady Hera. I will keep my promise."

"Good, now get that Golden Fleece, Jason. You will become a legend in Greek history."

Then the goddess glowed a blinding golden, this time turning into her divine form to flash out. Jason closed his eyes shut and turned away until the sudden blast of light, even with his eyes shut, disappeared.

He knew his promise was dangerous, but he would admit that he did feel something for Medea. He knew that deep in his heart that he would never betray Medea.

But in his brain, there were doubts.

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above and if any historical facts are actually wrong. I have spent my time looking through different websites, and even a couple of books, but the story that will continue may have incorrect historical info. Still, I believe it just adds to the effect.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	11. The Great Escape

**Hey everyone,**

**I'd like to announce that although some myths contradict with others, I may need to change the order in which historical myths took place to be able to fit the characters I want into the story.**

**Although the setting is ancient Greece, I will make the characters talk in English and informally, as if they were regular boys/men or girls/women in the modern world. It makes writing this a little bit easier, and the characters more relaxed than if they talked formally all the time.**

**I would like all of you avid readers to vote for the poll. That's right, there is a poll up on my profile page regarding this story. It is regarding pairings. I have figured out a couple of ways that Percy might be able to pair up with someone fairly soon through this story, even if getting to know them is a little short. It will be a quick process in terms of the chapters as I jump from the end of the _Argonautica_ right into the Trojan War if you as the readers choose a girl that is available in the ancient times. If the modern girls are chosen, then it will be a different story. Either way, vote vote vote! Vote, vote, vote!**

**_Just a note about copying and pasting author's notes...in the past, I have had readers who did not read the author's notes until later chapters. I just want to keep reminding. If you have already seen the author's notes, you can just skip them and go straight to reading the story. Thank you._**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**The Great Escape**

Percy was thrilled and excited, yet anxious at the same time.

He knew that killing the Colchian drakon would not be an easy thing to do, a feat that very few would be able to accomplish. But he was fairly confident with Atalanta and Theseus at his side. They could always retreat if it was too much for them to handle. That would have just made Jason have distracted the Colchians for nothing, but at least Jason would get to steal the Fleece with the sorceress Medea.

Jason had told them all about the young woman, even the promise he made to make her his wife. That had made Percy paranoid immediately, several dreams he'd had pointing out clearly that promises were dangerous. Sure, he'd made Jason promise for them to be a team, but that had no side effects. Jason did not swear to the River Styx.

Either way, stealing the Golden Fleece would be a dangerous task. From his natural wild instincts, he knew that Aeëtes was not going to hand over the Fleece, tasks completed or not. Everyone underestimated heroes. Atalanta was correct in one regard. If someone has the will to do something, it will likely end up in their favor.

Percy did have his doubts, though. What if the drakon killed one of them (him, Theseus, or Atalanta)? What if the Colchians heard the noise that the drakon was making, even with Jason distracting them with the events he was doing?

Percy prayed to Poseidon, Ares, Hephaestus, Hera, Athena and Tyche for the best of luck in the battle with the drakon. He hoped the three gods that helped him with Anaklusmos would hear him out along with the two patrons of this quest and the goddess of luck and fortune. He hoped that they would grant him lucky breaks to survive. He hoped he had the strength to be able to help in killing the Colchian drakon. This was what he had trained for, years of training. He was even good enough with a bow and arrow to shoot accurately, though each arrow needed time to be aimed before firing.

His heart beat in his chest erratically, the nervousness he felt making his heart rate go up. His breaths seemed to get shallower, his lungs feeling like they were not getting enough air. He felt nauseous as well, feeling like he was about to puke.

_Battle jitters_, a voice spoke in his mind. _Everyone gets them, except for me_. _But don't worry, kid. You'll do just fine. One free pass; ever kill something that is in my sacred lands again and I slaughter you_.

"Ares," Percy muttered. "Thank you."

The god didn't reply, but he had a feeling that the war god got his message.

Then Percy went under the deck to the armory to grab his armor. He walked past murmuring and worried _Argonauts_, all of them talking about how Jason had met with the sorceress Medea and gained her help. Most thought she was helping him, but one person (who Percy didn't know) had put doubt into everyone's minds that she could be conspiring against Jason. Percy was quite easy in trusting others, so he trusted that Medea was actually helping Jason rather than plotting against him.

Idas also thought that gaining the help of a woman was unheroic. Percy wished he could murder that sexist man, but he figured it wouldn't settle peacefully with the group that he would just murder someone in cold blood like that.

Percy stepped into the armory and searched around for a suitable set of armor. He found a shiny, bronze breastplate in the mess of disorganized armor. He also found a helmet that looked pretty cool and put it on his head. There were eye holes and a space where the soldier could speak out of. Other than that, the bronze covered every other part of the head. Percy figured he would look cool with it.

Then he remembered that he would also need to use his arrows before he went in with Anaklusmos. Sadly sighing, he put the helmet back. He decided that he would keep the breastplate though.

Then he went over to the corner that Argus had resupplied and stocked up as they traveled to different kingdoms. It was the corner with the few bows and hundreds of arrows. The only ones who used those were Atalanta and Percy, so the arrows lasted quite a long time. It was mainly because they only used arrows to hunt for food, and those arrows could be reused until they became too blunt.

He took off his breastplate and took twenty arrows. He put them in a quiver, and slung it over his back. He put his breastplate back on and grabbed a bow. He slung it over his back, the string over the armor on his chest.

Then he took the hair clip and put it in his hair. He hoped it didn't accidentally elongate in his hair. That would be very costly to his life.

He was set to attack the Colchian drakon.

Percy walked up to the helm of the ship where Jason and Periclymenus were speaking. He caught them talking about the Colchian drakon.

"All right, Periclymenus?" Jason said. "You get what I am talking about, any news about how Percy, Theseus and Atalanta are doing."

"What are you talking about?" Percy intruded.

The two men turned to him. Periclymenus smiled. "Jason wants me to be an eagle to fly in between watching him and you with the Colchian drakon. Apparently, he needs to know if you guys fail or succeed."

The other man nodded. "Yes. If you fail, I need to know so I can tell Medea when the time comes. If you succeed, sneak back to the ship and we will sail away at night, in the darkness. Last night, after I came back from the tryst with Medea, I went to sleep and had a dream. Athena said that it was Hera's idea to use Medea, but Athena would also make other plan happen at the same time. That idea of you sneaking around, give that thanks to Athena."

"But wouldn't she know that we had a good chance of dying?" Percy asked.

"She probably knows, but is willing to take the risk," Jason said reluctantly. "I think she will be helping you guys defeat the drakon."

"You are not certain, though," he pointed out.

"Unfortunately, I am not," the son of Aeson said.

"Well, at least we can ask for Periclymenus' help if things get too dire," Percy grinned.

Both other men nodded before the time came for Jason to do his tasks. All of the _Argonauts_ were to go and watch him, bringing swords on their belts and a few shields to gain the attention of the Colchian army.

Percy, Atalanta and Theseus were grateful that the sacred grove of Ares was at the same elevation if not lower than the plains that Jason needed to do his tasks. That way, they could be more elusive from the guards.

The three wished Jason good luck as the _Argonauts_ departed. Percy, Theseus and Atalanta sneaked around the coastline until they could see the drakon and the grove of trees. There was no one to interrupt them there. They could hear the cheers and shouts coming from further up the path to the palace. Percy assumed that most of the citizens of Colchis went to the Plain of Mars to see how Jason fared in the challenge given to him.

"How are we supposed to take the drakon out?" Percy asked the other two. "Just pound at it until it's too weak to fight anymore? That would make a Hades lot of noise."

The drakon roared, its loneliness causing it to roar once in a while, seemingly waiting for a friend to arrive. None would ever come. Percy thought that it would be a little harder to kill the drakon, since they had to keep quiet. But apparently the drakon liked roaring.

As Theseus, Atalanta and Percy crouched at a safe distance from the grove trying to think of a way to kill the drakon, the beast roared a few more times, making the ground seem to shudder.

"There isn't much we can do," Theseus concluded. "We have to kill it. I think it would be best to just kill the drakon head on."

Atalanta pursed her lips before agreeing with the son of Aegeus. "You're right. Just kill it. It will be tough any way we approach it, so we might as well hit it straight on."

They both turned to Percy expecting him to agree with them. They were right. Percy didn't know any other option of how they could kill the drakon. They could distract it from one side, but in the end, its goal was to protect the Golden Fleece. There was no way they could lure the drakon out from its place near the oak tree.

He looked up in the sky and saw an eagle circling around both events. He wondered what the people of Colchis thought, an eagle soaring overhead. Could they think it was a sign of Zeus? Either way, whatever they were thinking was wrong. It was just a shape shifting grandson of Poseidon.

"Let's go," Percy nodded. And the trio burst into action.

Atalanta fired the first shot as Theseus sneaked to the left side of the drakon. Percy fired an arrow right after Atalanta before running to the right side of the drakon.

Atalanta's first arrow impaled itself right in the drakon's nose making it looked like a horned beast. The drakon roared in pain before growling with malice at the daughter of Iasus. The drakon did not dare to move an inch, protect the Fleece, but now it was fully aware of the seventeen-year-old girl shooting arrows at it.

Theseus attacked from its left side, stabbing his sword into the beast's torso. It roared again, but this time swatted at Theseus, sending him crashing into the trees. Percy nocked an arrow, took aim and let the string go. The string snapped back and the arrow propelled forward. He took another arrow and fired it just like he hand the first and second. He was standing at a different angle so the beast now had to avoid arrows coming at it from two different spots.

An ear-piercing screech was heard from the eagle soaring overhead, a sound that was as loud if not louder than the drakon roaring. Percy got the message the Periclymenus was saying, though. _Keep the drakon quiet_.

Percy found that having Periclymenus soar overhead was a good thing, an eye on both events that were happening. He could hear the roar of the crowd echoing in the open air. Hopefully Jason was doing his task correctly.

Periclymenus continued screeching, seemingly to drown out the sounds of the drakon receiving multiple wounds. There were arrows sprouting from all over the drakon, some just barely lodged in the scaly skin of the beast, some sticking right into the meat and muscle below the skin. It was bleeding a greenish blood that looked like poison.

If there was a green ichor that no one had told Percy about, he was going to wring someone's neck.

"Go, Percy!" Atalanta shouted. "Theseus can't handle it alone. I'll continue wearing it down."

She was right. Theseus had taken a couple of hits from the drakon, all of them sending him flying either into solid dirt or healthy trees. The son of Aegeus had to be a little bit worn out. He had managed to get a couple of good hits on the drakon, though, the first in its torso, the next in its leg.

The Colchian drakon finally figured out that Atalanta was a sharpshooter, so it finally decided to show its power. Acid flew out of the beast's mouth at Atalanta. The girl had to dodge as it landed on the grass where she had been standing before. The previous healthy, green grass turned yellow and shriveled up before dying and burning up.

Theseus growled and stepped in with his sword, attempting to stab right through the drakon's heart, but the creature was too quick. With lightning-quick speed, its tail whipped around and sent Theseus tumbling down towards the ocean without stopping.

Percy turned around to run after the son of Aegeus, but Atalanta shouted, "Distract the drakon! I'll get Theseus!"

Periclymenus screeched, not as annoying as before, but more like a warning.

"A warning," Percy muttered as he dodged some acid.

He kept his bow, which he still had not put away, and pulled an arrow out of his quiver. He nocked it and pulled back. He carefully took aim, aiming for the drakon's eye. He nearly flinched when acid was sent hurling at him, but he knew he needed to get this shot in to weaken it.

The acid was took quick and Percy had to drop his bow. The acid had landed all over the bow and the ground. The only thing was that some of his got onto his hand. It took all of his willpower not to scream. He grimaced in a lot of pain, though. He tried wiping the poison off, but it had done its damage, Percy's left hand scarred.

Tears sprung to Percy's eyes, at first because of the pain, but it quickly morphed into anger. He looked down to where Atalanta was trying to help Theseus up, the son of Aegeus struggling, his face grimaced in pain. Theseus clutched his chest, as if the pain was in his heart. Then Percy remembered that there were bones along the torso. If a bone a broken and punctured his lungs or heart...

More anger settled in. He glared at the drakon menacingly and put his bow away. His left hand stung badly, but he tried ignoring the pain. He pulled out Anaklusmos and had a staring contest with the drakon. All of the weariness and exhaustion that Percy had endured over the long quest would not be for nothing, to retreat in the end. It didn't matter if Jason had a backup plan. Percy would try, try again and again and again until he either succeeded or died.

The drakon could have fatally wounded Theseus and it definitely burned his hand. Then with all of the rage, anxiety, exhaustion and every other feeling he had inside of him at that moment, he charged screaming bloody murder right in tune with Periclymenus' loud eagle cries.

Everything turned into slow-motion, a loud roar from the crowd of Colchians turned into one elongated yell. The acid that the drakon spit seemed to move at Percy at half the speed. He didn't know whether Kronos had suddenly come back alive or if it was just the adrenaline rushing through his body, but he seemed to see everything that was coming.

He ducked as the spit flew over him, and just as it passed over his head, time returned to normal and Percy instinctively did a somersault. He had leaped over the sweeping tail of the Colchian drakon and landed within the distance of the beast's claws. The drakon never stood a chance against the furious son of Poseidon.

Quicker than the drakon had knocked Theseus toward the ocean, Percy had cut off the arms of the drakon. Surprised at the sudden burst of strength, the Colchian drakon backed up a little. That only gave Percy the chance to cut off the monster's legs. The drakon howled in pain. Percy didn't stop to give a speech to the slowly dying drakon. His eyes glowing a venomous green, he took Anaklusmos in both hands and smashed in the drakon's face as if using a giant club. He crushed the drakon's face until it wasn't recognizable anymore.

The drakon dissolved with a wail and a hiss.

Still with anger, he reached up and grabbed the Golden Fleece and summoned a huge wave to sweep over Atalanta and Theseus. They would be washed into the water where they would be healed by Poseidon; Percy demanded that the god help him now and swore on the River Styx that he would repay the sea god in the future.

He was tired, but he wasn't done yet. He had to transport the Golden Fleece back to the _Argo_. He heard the clashing of metal and the commands of soldiers, but he ran. He didn't care about anything that stood in his way. He was getting back to the _Argo_ no matter what.

On his way back, he saw maybe three patrol guards, all of them on their own. When they tried stopping him by killing him, he saw no fit to where he had to give them mercy. If they would kill him, he would kill them back. They were all dead before they knew what really hit them.

When he got back to the _Argo_, he threw the Golden Fleece up on the deck, which was hard since the Fleece was solid gold and weighed a lot. Then he jumped into the ocean to find Theseus and Atalanta. He swam over to them, his strength still waning even in the water. There were blotchy spots in his vision, but he found Atalanta and Theseus inside an air bubble floating at the bottom of the Phasis river. They were being pushed upstream, toward the _Argo_.

Percy brought them out of the water and took them back to the _Argo_.

As they were running back, Theseus said, "Percy...you saved my life. The water seemed to heal me. I felt as though I were dying internally, like my ribs had poked a hole in my lungs. It was hard to breathe and everything hurt."

"You are half the son of Poseidon, and I prayed to him to save you," Percy said, his breaths becoming extremely ragged. His vision was still blotchy. "It was nothing, Theseus."

"Percy," Atalanta said with awe. "How did you... I have never seen anybody—"

"With such power?" he finished. "Like you said, _Have a strong will and you will have a good chance of accomplishing your goal_. At least, you said something like that."

"That was very, very dangerous what you did," Theseus said, his tone wary. "You could have exhausted yourself out."

"You cannot learn without being tested, Theseus," Percy replied. "That is how you survive life."

They reached the ship and prepared the ship for its departure. Soon, a group of men, with a woman being carried in the lead man's arms appeared. They ran at the ship, a large, ferocious tiger protecting them.

Not far behind the large group of men was a large unit of soldiers running after them, hundreds of them following the fugitives as they tried making their escape. Gritting his teeth and still catching his breath, Percy summoned whirlpools of water at the bow and stern of the _Argo_ and sent the liquid hurling at the Colchian soldiers. They were pushed back by the sudden burst of water. It was enough to get the _Argo_ on its way.

As soon as the last _Argonaut_ was on board, Percy summoned another wave to send the _Argo_ skittering across the Phasis river and into the Euxine Sea.

"Percy, by the gods," Jason cried as they shot out into open sea. "What the Hades happened? You look like you're dead! We managed to complete the task and Aeëtes went back to his palace, but we saw the wave and the army charged us!"

"Long story," muttered the son of Poseidon. He felt a little dizzy now and clutched his head.

"It _is_ a long story, Jason. Get some rest, Percy," Theseus said. "You need it."

Grimacing, he shook his head. "Can't. Upcoming battle... Ships coming... I can feel it... Crossbows..."

"Ship ahead!" Periclymenus yelled from the bow. "It's a Colchian one. More and more are getting ready to set sail!"

"Crossbow," Percy said.

Jason finally realized what he meant. He turned to Medea. "Stay safe. Get out of the way of firing range. Use spells if you can." He turned to the rest of the _Argonauts_. "We don't need the speed yet! Two people get on the port-side crossbows, two people get on the starboard-side crossbows. Two people help load all four crossbows. Starboard side first. That's where the ships are coming from."

"Aye!"

Six people hopped up from their seats. They followed Jason's exact command.

"I trust that you know our capture can lead to our deaths, so do not fool around with those weapons," the son of Aeson reminded the crew. "You may take aim on your own."

"Yes, sir!" the six men who stepped up said.

Percy, still hunched over the gunwale, watched as both crossbows on the starboard side launched two giant javelins at the approaching Colchian ship. The ship didn't know what hit them. The crossbows were shot fairly well. The forward crossbow managed to create mass panic on deck as it smashed into the side of the gunwales, killing two rowers and sending splinters flying. The aft crossbow's javelin then smashed into the hull of the galley, creating a giant hole in the side where water spilled in and sank the ship.

"Help move the boat faster!" Jason ordered the inactive port-side crossbowmen.

With an extra push, the _Argo_ sailed further and further away from Colchis with what they had come for in their hands, the Colchian fleet disappearing behind them, at least for a little while.

Their path back led them to a river called Ister. Ancaeus said that this path would be elusive to the Colchian, who would expect them to go back through the Symplegades. Unfortunately, the Colchians were a little smarter than they thought.

A fleet of ships led by Medea's brother Apsyrtus had followed them through the Ister until they reached the other side, the Sea of Kronos.

Percy did eventually rest, taking a long rest after they began sailing through the Ister. He still woke up and practiced his powers, but the couple of weeks they had spent sailing through the Ister river was mainly composed of regaining his strength. He would stand alone at the bow and breathe in quietly, sort of like a way to calm himself down.

When the Colchian fleet eventually found them, Percy planned to sink every single one of those ships. Medea and Jason had other plans. Percy could tell something had gone awry when Jason and Medea acted like they were both in love.

_A plan of Aphrodite, nonetheless, I will play along_, Percy thought.

Medea lured Apsyrtus onto the _Argo_ with promises of riches and rewards instead of allowing herself to be taken back to Colchis to get a punishment from her father. Then, when he was on the ship, Jason came and brutally murdered the man. There was no need for that, as the ships could have just been sunken, but Medea and Jason both felt like that was needed. Then Jason routed the rest of the Colchian fleet.

But Percy heard the talk from the rest of the _Argonauts_. Despite almost getting captured by the Colchians, Jason, Medea and the Colchians wasn't the major talk of the crew. It was Percy and his powers, the son of Poseidon growing very strong for a mere twelve-year-old.

As he stood at the bow of the _Argo_, the Sea of Kronos rippling around the ship, he looked down at himself. Percy had crazy powers, the boy knew that. He was becoming strong quickly, seemingly too quickly. Just a year and a half ago, he could barely control water. Just a year ago, he could only begin to solidify water. Now... now Percy felt dangerous. He had gotten used to the weariness that his powers gave him. He was always tired now. But something he knew at that moment that he did not know when he believed he could not control water was the reason he was able to learn quickly.

He couldn't just control water... water was a part of him, the water was always inside him.

That was also why his left hand wasn't burned with poison anymore. His hand had healed.

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above and if any historical facts are actually wrong. I have spent my time looking through different websites, and even a couple of books, but the story that will continue may have incorrect historical info. Still, I believe it just adds to the effect.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	12. The Sardinian Sea

**Hey everyone,**

**I'd like to announce that although some myths contradict with others, I may need to change the order in which historical myths took place to be able to fit the characters I want into the story.**

**Although the setting is ancient Greece, I will make the characters talk in English and informally, as if they were regular boys/men or girls/women in the modern world. It makes writing this a little bit easier, and the characters more relaxed than if they talked formally all the time.**

**I would like all of you avid readers to vote for the poll. That's right, there is a poll up on my profile page regarding this story. It is regarding pairings. I have figured out a couple of ways that Percy might be able to pair up with someone fairly soon through this story, even if getting to know them is a little short. It will be a quick process in terms of the chapters as I jump from the end of the _Argonautica_ right into the Trojan War if you as the readers choose a girl that is available in the ancient times. If the modern girls are chosen, then it will be a different story. Either way, vote vote vote! Vote, vote, vote!**

**_Just a note about copying and pasting author's notes...in the past, I have had readers who did not read the author's notes until later chapters. I just want to keep reminding. If you have already seen the author's notes, you can just skip them and go straight to reading the story. Thank you._**

**I would like to note that this is a short chapter, a filler for what is to come after.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**The Sardinian Sea**

They followed the river, sailing through the many branches of the Eridanus. The _Argo_ had been sent north, away from Greece.

Why? Well, Percy assumed that the gods were indignant at the brutal murder of Apsyrtus. He did not care anymore. Like what most of the other crew were feeling, he felt blood guilt. Sure, Medea had wanted to stay with Jason, never to go back to Colchis. Death was a part of everything. It did not mean Percy had to like it.

The _Argo_ had gotten lost, sailing through the arcing Eridanus River. They had sailed way up north, until the point that during so called summer it felt like early winter. Snow covered the trees up north, no cities or lights in sight. When the broke into the ocean, Percy knew they were out of range from the gods. They had gone too far. They were at the ends of the world.

The morale of the troops had gotten considerably low, even after the success of stealing the Golden Fleece. Cold, bitter winter threw their final blasts at them before it dissipated into summer. The sun would shine overhead, but still, they were lost.

Hours, days, weeks were spent trying to find their way back home, but instead they sailed much farther north of Greece. Percy called the sea the North Sea. They saw barbarians encamped in the north, watching the Greeks as they sailed past. Surely, they had not seen a ship of this caliber before.

Some barbarians, however, did try attacking. The _Argonauts_ wiped them out quickly. The encampments were loaded with food and supplies, so they eventually made it a daily routine to kill barbarians to scavenge for food. That only made the morale of the troops worse. Some _Argonauts_ became sick, medical supplies running low. A couple died.

This was almost as bad as a war, not as many casualties, but knowing the dying people suffered before their death was a horrifying thought. Percy was so depressed that he didn't even bother to try practicing his powers, though the water still reflected his emotions. Wherever they went, the water was as calm as can be, the color a depressing dark blue.

Percy was thirteen by the time they found the entrance to the Eridanus once again.

The Eridanus led them back south, where everything became warmer. Summer grew plentiful here. It was still not enough to raise the spirits of the _Argonauts_. Most of the men grew tired of paddling and let the wind try pushing them along.

Not even Jason felt good. They spent most of their time below decks. Medea and Jason had many nights of passion, Percy could hear that well enough from where he slept. But could tell from both of their expressions when they were outside that even passion was not enough to raise their own spirits.

Percy had a feeling that most of the _Argonauts_ knew the gods had punished them for murdering Apsyrtus. None were happy.

Atalanta barely hunted anymore. She spent most of her time holding the necklace Meleager had given to her. She would stare out at the forests and plains and mountains of the lands they passed while playing with the necklace in her hands. Percy thought she had lost it; she must have found it in one of the lower decks, hiding from her.

Theseus was the exact same as those two. He would talk to Percy now and then, but he said he contemplated giving up on his quest to Athens. He had contemplated whether or not he should receive the royal life that he should have had.

Others, like Castor, Polydeuces, Calaïs, Zetes, Periclymenus, Argus, Orpheus, Ancaeus and Peleus had even said they didn't have the spirit to move on. The gods had cursed them, so why should they go back to their homes where Zeus could strike down their families, breaking them even more. The paranoia and fear of the Olympians had struck the _Argonauts_ hard.

"We're in the Sardinian Sea," Ancaeus announced bluntly after exiting another mouth of the Eridanus River.

"After months of getting lost and killing barbarians, I am glad we are back on track to Greece," Jason muttered, Medea at his side.

Percy nodded tersely and walked away. Unlike those he talked to, he did not feel bad because of the gods' curse. He could not care less about what the Olympians bestowed on the _Argonauts_. It was the murder that was eating away at Percy. The murder and being out in danger was eating him up from the inside.

Before Colchis, he had tried to stay strong. Apsyrtus' death broke him, finally.

"Death happens for a reason," a deep, strong voice said from behind him.

He turned around to see a man wearing a simple green tunic. He had a proud face, sea-green eyes and jet black hair. The beard the man had was well-trimmed and neat. In other words, Percy recognized him. It was his father, Poseidon.

"Father," Percy bowed. "What are you doing here?"

The sea god smiled sadly. "I have watched over your quest much like Athena and Hera have. I am forbidden to intrude on mortal quests, but I help secretly when it has to do with sea voyages." Then his face turned grim. "The _Argo_ sailed far north, much too far. Depression has washed over the crew like a tsunami, crushing them. They fear the gods, though, whereas you are lugubrious to the murder."

"Lugubrious?"

"Discontent, another word for depressed," the god replied.

Percy looked down at the ocean. "Can the others see you?"

"None, only you can see me."

"Then tell me _why_ you came, not about how you watched our journey," Percy demanded trying to stay as respectful as possible.

"How do you feel about Apsyrtus?" Poseidon asked. "How do you feel knowing that Zeus punished your ship for his murder, the desecration of a Colchian prince? Answer the question and I will explain why I am here."

Percy scowled but answered the question. "Terrible. We could have settled it by battle, not by trickery and murder. Even if they gave Apsyrtus' body back to the Colchians I would have felt better. Medea just had to make Jason cut him to pieces and dump him in the sea. King Aeëtes will never give his son the proper funeral rites."

"Even after King Aeëtes was about to trick you out of your prize, had Athena not come up with the plan to send another group of soldiers to fight the drakon?"

"Even then," Percy nodded. "Then...up north, the men died. Illness. I watched them scream in pain." The son of Poseidon shut his eyes. "It is horrible, father."

"Death happens for a reason, as much as you may not like it," the god said wisely. "I do not favor my brother as he does not favor me, but his duty is the hardest of all of ours. That is why I told Hades to stay in the Underworld. He never listens me out, but keeping the souls in check and holding Tartarus together is a very challenging job. Zeus would never be able to do that, and neither would I. But mortals die, not because the immortals wish for them to perish, but because the greatest glories come in dying, Percy."

"What glory is there in watching mortals suffer?" Percy asked his father.

Poseidon shook his head. "There is none, Percy. But tell me what the world would be like without illness and death? It would be overrun. Saving people's lives does not mean we are better people."

"And killing them is?" Percy snapped.

"You cannot be so distraught over death, Perseus," his father said sternly. "I see your destiny, Percy. You cannot be so sad over the death of your closest friends and family. It will lead to your downfall."

"I would rather die than see my friends pass on suffering," he seethed. "Maybe you are right. The greatest glories coming in dying. Because when you live, your path to the end gets ragged, filled with pain, fear and hopelessness. Sometimes a name is as powerful as an action."

"Percy—"

"People will remember the name Perseus forever because of the first," Percy said turning his back on his father. "If I die, I will be remembered as well. If I live, generations and generations later many will forget me."

Poseidon closed his eyes and exhaled. "May Zeus witness I tried. You always find something that is worth fighting for, Percy. You do not have to be immortal, but remember that Thanatos and Hades are closer relatives than you think."

Then the god was swept away in a sea breeze.

"_Always find something that is worth fighting for_," Percy muttered. Then he realized he'd used what his father told him against him. "_Glory in dying..._"

He turned around and went below deck. He found everyone sitting dejectedly in the dining room and kitchen, muttering about where they were headed next that the gods wished for them to be punished.

"We need to get home," he said, making all heads turn to him.

Someone started, "The gods—"

"What? Made us sail off course? Cursed us until we die?" Percy suggested. Many of the men in the room looked at him warily and nodded. "So what?" Percy took a deep breath. "I just spoke with Lord Poseidon, my father. He made me realize something using trickery. While all of you worried about being cursed by the gods, I felt bad for all of the death around us. I hate death to those around me. Hades is one of my father's rivals amongst the gods and goddesses, but understanding that everything has an end... It may not be so bad. Let me ask all of you a question. Did you come on this quest for glory, personal fame, and to be remembered throughout history as a great hero?"

"Yes," everyone chorused.

"So let me offer you all a choice: return to Iolcus, to Greece, give the Golden Fleece to Jason and become the greatest heroes that sailed the world forever known as the _Argonauts_ or die here at sea with no one ever knowing us ever again, our names disappearing as history passes on?"

Jason stood up slowly. "What do you mean, Percy? Our names disappearing as history passes on."

"Gods care little for mortals, only for a small period of time do they regard us as something," he said. "Think of the original Perseus. He could have rejected the quest to kill Medusa. He could have chickened away from the quest. He would have had a safe life. Instead, he chose to take the quest. He defeated the monster and married Andromeda. But his life was cut short. In spite and rage, the son of the former king of Argos, who I do not remember the name of, killed him. That is a well known fact all over Greece. Perseus died happy but young. Apply that to our situation. We arrive back to Greece and become legends. Should we die, it does not matter, for our names live on forever."

Percy watched as the men looked at one another slowly, as if to see if others agreed with him. Percy knew that was the purpose of Poseidon's visit. Percy had to rejuvenate the spirit of the _Argonauts_. Long had they forgotten of what they came here for. Only once he reminded them, they remembered. They were in it for the glory, not for the death and pain.

Atalanta stood up. "If we die, our names live on forever. I agree with Percy."

A smile slowly broke out on Jason's face. "The _Argonauts_, led by Perseus the Second. How does that sound?"

Theseus stepped up. "I think that sounds great."

"Percy. Percy. Percy. Percy." Periclymenus said. "Chant with me! Percy! Percy! Percy! Percy!"

Slowly, more and more people joined in on the chant. For once, Percy didn't mind that he was getting all of the attention. He kind of liked it now. But before everyone began chanting "Percy," the one mentioned started chanting, "Argonauts! Argonauts! Argonauts!"

The chanting changed as Percy led. The son of Poseidon led the men above deck and made everyone grab onto a paddle. "Row! Row! Row! TO GREECE!"

"Greece!" echoed the _Argonauts_.

"We are the _Argonauts_!" Jason shouted from his position at the helm. "We are the retrievers of the Golden Fleece and the explorers of the world! Let the word be spread! _We. Are. The. _Argonauts!"

"HOO! HOO! HOO!" came the cry from the rowers.

Percy grinned and raised his hand before pointing straight forward. The waves behind them got larger until the _Argo_ was being propelled along the water faster than anything had traveled before, on land or water.

"Argonauts!" came the final cry before an island appeared in the distance.

Jason and Percy shared a look, before looking down at the rowers, who were rowing with renewed strength.

Then they made their decision: "To the island!"

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

******I would like to note that this is a short chapter, a filler for what is to come after.**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above and if any historical facts are actually wrong. I have spent my time looking through different websites, and even a couple of books, but the story that will continue may have incorrect historical info. Still, I believe it just adds to the effect.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	13. The Absolution

**Hey everyone,**

**I'd like to announce that although some myths contradict with others, I may need to change the order in which historical myths took place to be able to fit the characters I want into the story.**

**Although the setting is ancient Greece, I will make the characters talk in English and informally, as if they were regular boys/men or girls/women in the modern world. It makes writing this a little bit easier, and the characters more relaxed than if they talked formally all the time.**

**I would like all of you avid readers to vote for the poll. That's right, there is a poll up on my profile page regarding this story. It is regarding pairings. I have figured out a couple of ways that Percy might be able to pair up with someone fairly soon through this story, even if getting to know them is a little short. It will be a quick process in terms of the chapters as I jump from the end of the _Argonautica_ right into the Trojan War if you as the readers choose a girl that is available in the ancient times. If the modern girls are chosen, then it will be a different story. Either way, vote vote vote! Vote, vote, vote!**

**_Just a note about copying and pasting author's notes...in the past, I have had readers who did not read the author's notes until later chapters. I just want to keep reminding. If you have already seen the author's notes, you can just skip them and go straight to reading the story. Thank you._**

**I may be putting all my stories on hiatus for the time being. I have kind of lost inspiration to write these stories...partially because not many view it, but mostly because I just don't feel like writing these anymore, my writing ideas turning to something that is not related to Percy Jackson at all. I may still update, though. Hiatus or not, you will see soon.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**The Absolution**

Sure they had cried "To Greece!" but in truth, the _Argonauts_ were still weary and tired. They deserved a peaceful rest of some sort.

The buildings of the island slowly became visible, the white marble sparkling in the golden sunlight. It looked magnificent, seemingly a whole city placed on the side of a mountain, a small on, but a mountain nonetheless.

It looked, in a way, like Athens. Athens had the Acropolis on top of the mesa, the flat land that was man-made, and had the magnificent wonder at the heart of the city. It was very much the same thing with this island. At the top of the mountain stood the largest building of all, a marble palace.

Percy looked at Jason. "Who do you think the king of this island is? Or _queen_?"

Medea suddenly stepped forward. "No, this is not a regular island," she said. "This is Circe's island, the great sorceress daughter of Helios. It is named Aeaea. She is my aunt, the sister to my father, Aeëtes."

Percy's and Jason's eyes widened.

"But then... why is she all the way here?" Percy asked. "This is the Sardinian Sea, far in the west. This is even further than Thrinacia, than Ausonia."

"You are smart for a young boy like yourself," Medea complimented, "but yes. Aeaea is farther west than Ausonia. She was sent here by Helios when she killed her husband, a prince of Colchis. Well, he wasn't actually royalty, but just married into the family. He was from Thrace, but I do not remember his name. My father never told me more than what I told you."

"She murdered her own husband?" Percy asked becoming suddenly wary of what was to come.

"Apparently so."

He looked to the bright side and smiled. "Well, maybe he was just a really bad husband."

Medea shrugged, unknowing. "It is a possibility, but no one can ever be sure."

"Can we trust Circe?" Jason asked.

"She may be able to recognize me," she said after nodding. "Maybe she will be able to cleanse the stain of my brother's blood on the_ Argonauts_, though mostly on me. It was my idea to do that."

The coast they were approaching was beautiful, a sandy-white beach dotted with beautiful apple trees. Percy could see the tiny little red dots on the green bush, people coming up to them and picking the ripe fruit off the trees.

"What will happen when we reach there?" Jason asked. "Are all of the _Argonauts_ going? Or will it be just you and I?"

Medea bit her lip. "I am not certain, my love. Circe dislikes men to a certain extent and has turned them into pigs ever since they have landed at her island. They have not been that many, but the few who have arrived are pigs. The last time I was here, a few years ago, there were ten, maybe twenty. It would be a risk to bring that many men, but if you and I go alone with cloaks..."

Percy pursed his own lips. "Well, Medea. I think you and Jason should go alone. Like you said yourself, killing your brother was your own idea. Let Jason, the killer, and yourself, the planner, be purified. It would be safer that way. What do you say, Jason?"

The said man looked out at the island. Percy followed his line of sight. That was when he noticed the water fountains and bath pools scattered around the city, as if it were some sort of paradise. Percy wondered if it was supposed to be a place where women go to learn the ways of sorcery, to escape the world of men.

He then remembered a conversation that he had with Atalanta long ago.

_Wait, you said hunters are both male and female, right? If Artemis is the goddess of the hunt, does she have a group of hunters that like serve with her?_ Percy had asked.

Atalanta snorted. _If there were Hunters of Artemis, they would have to swear eternal oaths to the goddess, swearing off love to boys and swearing their virginity to the goddess. No female in the entire world would want to do that. Other than the fact I have sworn virginity to the goddess, I have not sworn anything else to Artemis._

Percy wondered if in the future, the Hunters of Artemis could become a real group, a bunch of young woman who had been betrayed or hurt by men. The weird thing about it was that he didn't find it awkward that he was a _man _who wanted to start the initiative. But Atalanta was right. Percy heard more than he should have at that age, which just meant he knew more. Every single woman he'd ever met or heard followed Aphrodite's way, the way of love and sex. It was just how the world worked.

"If it is best," Jason said at last. "We should consult Atalanta, Theseus and maybe a few others. We should see what the crew wants."

Percy sighed. "You guys go and do that. I need a little time to wrap my head around the whole conversation with Poseidon less than half a day ago, plus more questions about other stuff popping into my head."

They shared a look before nodding sympathetically at the thirteen-year-old boy. They left him alone to ponder on his question.

Percy stepped down from the helm and walked to the bow of the ship, looking over at Aeaea. He couldn't find anything he hadn't seen before but he was still awed at the sheer magnificence and beauty of the island. Of course, learning about what Circe did to male visitors kind of counter-affected the whole paradise mood it had, but as long as they didn't get caught by the sorceress they wouldn't be harmed.

The crew was still deeply affected by the events that occurred previously, only having this minor encouragement via the speech that Percy gave. It may have not been the best speech ever, but Percy was proud of it. Either way, Percy thought it best if the crew stayed on board _without_ learning of what Circe did to male visitors. That way they wouldn't feel scared _again_.

No matter what he said in his speech, the _Argonauts_ needed a rest. Percy had a feeling more challenges were to come ahead. "With a strong will..." Percy trailed off. "I've used that line way too often."

Percy turned around and walked over to the helm where Ancaeus was studying the map. The king of Samos frowned as he pointed to a spot at the north ends of Ausonia.

"Ancaeus!" Percy called.

The said man's head snapped up to see the approaching son of Poseidon. Ancaeus smiled at him. "Hello, Percy. How are you doing?"

"Better than before," he shrugged. "Hades, everyone is doing better than before. So... what's the frowning about?"

Ancaeus sighed. "We just have a long journey home. We exited through this mouth I believe and are headed south, toward—"

"Aeaea," he finished, pointing at the island the _Argo_ was approaching.

"We are there already?" Disbelief was evident in his voice. "But we just exited the mouth this morning. We only started paddling halfway to noon."

"We were pushed along by the water and the immense strength of the _Argonauts_," Percy said, praising the rowers. "That is how we got here so quickly. A quick break here is what we need before we continue further down. Do you know if we have any dangers upcoming? Any challenges as we pass through the southern parts of Ausonia and past Thrinacia?"

"Maps do not show dangers, Percy." Ancaeus coughed and shuffled his map around. He turned it in a full circle before circling the area Percy had just pointed out to. There was a hole in the map, a part that had not been finished just above the foot. "Here, nothing is shown. This part may be an island with a monster so treacherous that no navigator would be able to pass."

Percy frowned and scratched his neck. "I am not sure. Chiron had told Jason to recruit Orpheus for this trip. I am not certain why, but I believe it is going to be for a reason soon. Maybe there are barbarians there, much like what we found up north. They could have been great warriors and destroyed all of the ships that passed by."

"Not every man can be a hero, can they?" Ancaeus smirked. "We may be able to defeat them."

"Possibly, if there are any there." Percy snatched the map out of Ancaeus' hands. "What I question is why are there two bleached spots on the map?" He pointed to the empty dot around Thrinacia and the toe of Ausonia's heeled-boot. "Another challenge?"

Ancaeus closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "What if all of this goes awry, my young boy? You are confident about glory in death, but if the gods will us to never make it back. You saw how easily they pushed us north when in the Sea of Kronos. What if they send us south this time, to Libya?"

"We have Hera and Athena, plus Poseidon at our backs," Percy said, attempting to encourage the _Argo_'s navigator. "So what if Zeus has cursed us? Circe will try to get us purified from the murder. If anything, it is more on Medea and Jason than the rest. She admitted that herself."

"Hera, Athena and Poseidon," the older man mused. "The Queen of the Gods, the patron of Athens, and one of the so called 'Big Three.' Will that be enough?"

"I am certain of it," Percy said with confidence. Ancaeus opened his mouth, still doubtful, but Percy held up a hand to stop him. "Sometimes you have to trust, Ancaeus. I am but a young boy, yet the crew trusts me. Why? I have no idea, but I know that they trust that I know what I am talking about, even if the truth is that _I_ don't even know what I am talking about."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes. Why else would they listen to me ramble on about a conversation I had with my father regarding dying?"

"You knew what you were talking about, Percy."

He sighed. "Yeah, I know. But you get my point, even if I did exaggerate a little bit."

The king of Samos nodded. "You would make a great king one day, Percy. May I ask...do you know of your mortal family, like where it comes from?"

Percy averted his eyes from Ancaeus and stared at the ground. "Athens. My mortal line descends from Athens. That is all I know about my ancestry. They were probably all farm-folk because my mother and I lived on a farm before she passed on. I haven't gone back and checked whether the farm is now inhabited by someone else."

Ancaeus smiled at him and patted him on the back. "I am sure you will find your ancestry one day. Maybe once this is all over, this quest for the Golden Fleece, you can track back your family history. You can start with what you know about your mother's parents."

"Chiron said he'd gone back to check when I was seven," Percy said, recollecting his thoughts. "I think he said they died when a tornado tore through Athens' countryside. I can't remember exactly though. My mother was apparently five, just like how old I was when she died." He tried remaining stoic.

"That is...saddening. I am sorry."

He waved Ancaeus off. "You have nothing to apologize for. If the Fates declare it, it is fate and cannot be changed. I guess what they want you to do is deal with the adversity, deal with the pain. The Fates are cruel, but that is how life for mortals is."

"Unfortunately, it is."

"Good observation, though, Ancaeus," Percy complimented while pointing to the map. "I guess we must have to be careful when we pass down the coast of Ausonia."

The king of Samos smiled. "Thank you."

"Now, I need to check on Medea and Jason. See you in a bit."

Percy bowed (just his head) to Ancaeus before jogging and heading down the steps to head under deck. He looked around for Medea and Jason, calling their names and running around the bottom deck. After searching the dining room and kitchen, and then the storage room, he went to the second deck to search the bedrooms.

He pushed all of the doors open roughly as he entered each room, searching around for the couple. They probably should have been finished discussing with the "few other" people.

Percy heard murmuring voices coming from a few rooms down. He approached them quickly, with lack of care for noise. He burst into the room finding Jason and Medea kissing passionately and standing in the middle of the room pretty much naked.

There was a little more to it, but Percy didn't feel like explaining it. He slapped his hand over his eyes and slowly backed out of the room, stepping into the wall behind him. "Sorry for the intrusion. Thought you two would be done 'talking.' Seems like there's been a little more than that."

He stumbled as he found the door, the board of wood swinging open behind him. Then he heard a thump and an outcry of brief pain. Suddenly, something hard hit the back of Percy's head and he stumbled back forward. He turned around and uncovered his eyes to find Atalanta staring in shock at the couple behind him. She quickly averted her eyes and grabbed me. Atalanta turned back to Jason and Medea, who were desperately trying to get their clothes back on, and said, "Sorry for bothering you. Keep doing whatever you were doing."

Then she shut the door and turned to Percy.

"You just _had_ to hit me in the head with the door," she growled, her eyes shifting to slight anger.

Percy noticed the bruise he had just caused. His eyes widened and he gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit you in the head. I was trying to—"

"Get away from the couple inside of there," Atalanta finished. "Yeah, I get it. I'll be fine. I just need to not hit it again."

Percy nodded. He brushed his hands on his tunic and cleared his throat. "So, did they talk to you about going onto Circe's island, Aeaea?"

She nodded. "Yeah. They should go alone. That way, it doesn't make the _Argonauts_ feel wary about being turned into pigs. I just hope they don't get sidetracked...like they're getting now."

"Good that you agreed with what I told them. Hopefully Circe is nice enough to absolve all of the _Argonauts_ rather than just Medea and Jason since they are the only ones who are going to go."

"May Tyche be with us," Atalanta sighed. She blinked and rubbed her forehead where the bruise he gave her was. It looked as though it was getting worse.

"Are you sure that you are okay?" Percy asked, looking at the purple-colored mark. "It doesn't look like it will be getting better than quickly. How hard did I hit you?"

"Hard enough," she grumbled. "Now, stop staring at my forehead and let's go upstairs. Theseus and Periclymenus told me to meet them up above deck to discuss something. I am not sure what it is, but I figure that it is important. Either that, or it is just to talk about something while we wait for Medea and Jason to purify themselves after they finish pleasuring themselves."

* * *

Theseus and Periclymenus were staring out at Aeaea when Percy and Atalanta found them.

"Theseus," Atalanta said, nodding at the son of Aegeus. "Periclymenus."

"Hey, Atalanta," Theseus greeted, waving. "Hey, Percy."

"Hi."

Atalanta and Percy joined the other two as the beach of Aeaea came closer and closer. They were within a couple of boat lengths to the white sand. Women from all around the area stopped what they were doing to watch as the _Argo_ sailed in, the warship probably looking either marvelous or threatening.

"This is Circe's island, huh?" Theseus said. "I don't know much about her other than the fact that she is Medea's aunt."

Percy shrugged. "She's a sorceress. I know nothing more than what Medea told me. We better hope that Circe is willing to purify us."

"What will 'purifying' us do?" Periclymenus asked. "Get rid of our blood guilt?"

"Precisely," a voice said from behind them. It was Medea, who was now fully dressed unlike in the bunk rooms. A hooded figured stood close behind her, a shadow covering his face so that none could tell who he was without directly looking at him for a long period of time. The brown eyes stood out, though, staring like daggers out from under the shadow. "The absolution process will help us get rid of our blood guilt of killing my brother. Like I told you, it is mostly on me."

"Good to you're wearing clothes now, Medea," Percy said with a sickening feeling in his stomach. He attempted to smile, though, a barely managed to keep it. "Not doing anything _inappropriate_."

She glared at him as if he should have gotten used to it by now. It was true. They slept like that almost every single night. Percy thought it a miracle that Medea wasn't pregnant yet. Almost a quarter of a year passed when they headed up north. Surely, she would have a baby bump by now.

"You two ready to go?" Atalanta asked.

Both of them nodded and proceeded to the sides of the _Argo_, just as it beached. They leaped over the gunwales and landed on the soft, sandy beach. Medea turned around a gave a quick nod before walking into the mess and collection of white marble buildings.

"Take a rest, men!" Ancaeus shouted as the rowers beached the ship. "You have well earned the break. Do not forget that we need to pace ourselves. There will be dangers to come, I know it." The king of Samos winked at Percy.

In return, he received a sly smile from the young son of Poseidon.

"Dangers up ahead, huh?" Theseus scoffed. "Sounds like the best trip home ever."

"What dangers would we be facing, though?" asked the grandson of Poseidon. "I mean, this is Ausonia for crying out loud. There has been little documented about Ausonia. I barely know anything about it!"

"And that is what makes it dangerous," Theseus answered for Percy. "Power is easy to fight, lack of wisdom..."

"Okay, seriously. How are you that smart and wise?" Periclymenus asked.

"Smart, sure. Wise, not a chance." Theseus looked up longingly into the sky. "No one can be wise like Athena. She's very careful with her words and constructs them with such care, you cannot help but agree that she is right."

Everyone stared at him... well, the other three that were there stared at him. Periclymenus had an eyebrow raised, a grin slowly appearing on his face. Atalanta was wide-eyed, as if she had a horrible thought. Percy, on the other hand, realized exactly what he was referring to and laughed out loud.

"You... praising is one thing but—You know, I..." Periclymenus was speechless, even though the grin on his face was growing wider by the second. He couldn't even form a simple sentence. This elicited a confused expression from the son of Aegeus.

"What?" he demanded. "Why do you look like some sort of pedophile, Periclymenus? Why do _you_ look like the gods cursed you to be scared of anything you see, Atalanta? And why are you laughing, Percy?!"

Percy tried halting the laughter from erupting from his lips, but they wouldn't stop. It took a little while, but the son of Poseidon eventually calmed down enough to be able to talk coherently with his quarter-brother. "Of all people Athena. You have to like her?"

Theseus' eyes went the size of dinner plates. Then he flushed. "No, no, no! I was just saying that—I don't... Percy don't twist my words!"

"You love a goddess," the son of Poseidon repeated. "You are totally heads over heels."

He glared at the young boy. "Okay, maybe I admit having a slight attraction, but 'heads over heels' is going way too far."

"Why, though? Why her?" Atalanta asked, shock still written across her face.

Theseus shrugged nonchalantly. "Why do you love Meleager? I mean, you cherish your necklace like it's a gift from the gods. It's a similar case with Athena. I know it's probably never going to happen, but attraction is what makes everything what it is now. Think, what if the gods were faithful to their wives? The world would not be the way it is now."

Atalanta looked down, and so did Periclymenus and Percy. Theseus was right. Attraction was what ran the world. Had Poseidon not fallen for Percy's mother and stayed loyal to Amphitrite, he wouldn't have been born. Then again...Percy's mother probably would not have died had she not had a demigod child. Chiron had told him that monsters could only smell demigod blood, not mortal blood. In that way, Percy was envious of many mortals for without the directions of an immortal monsters would not attack them. He also came to realize why his adventures were usually monster-filled whilst Jason's were more calming.

Then Percy looked at Atalanta and remembered about the necklace. "Atalanta. How did you get your necklace back? You told me a while back that you'd lost it."

The girl turned to him before turning back to Theseus and narrowing her eyes. The son of Aegeus had a proud-looking smile on his face. "Theseus stole it from me when he came to clean the rooms before I started teaching you archery. I had just set the necklace down on the cupboard in our room before I turned around to deal with my stuff. Theseus here took it and distracted me so that I would forget about the necklace. Why did you have to give me the idea of teaching Percy archery right then?"

"I might a son of Hermes, too!" Theseus chuckled.

"Trickery...isn't that Dolos?" Periclymenus asked.

"It could be," Theseus responded mysteriously.

The grandson of Poseidon stared at him. "Okay, stop with that. You're just being very, very weird right now."

"Am I?" he said in that same creepy voice.

"Yes, yes you are," Percy replied.

"Well, sorry for wanting to have some fun after what we've been through," Theseus sighed. He looked back out at Aeaea where the women were getting back to business, finally deciding that the _Argo_ wasn't there to harm them. "It's been almost two years. It has been a rough journey."

"That you are right on, my friend," Periclymenus agreed, patting him on the back.

They were engulfed by silence until Percy turned and walked to the stern of the boat. He looked out at the ocean out behind the _Argo_ as the other three slowly approached the sullen demigod. Percy heard their footsteps behind him. "There's nothing wrong. I'm just...thinking. The danger isn't over."

"Of course it isn't," Theseus grumbled. "Danger finds us like crazy."

"Did I tell you guys about the map?" Percy asked.

Atalanta shook her head and looked at him curiously. "What map? What are you talking about?"

He turned around and looked each of them in the eye. "I was talking with Ancaeus earlier and we were studying the map of Ausonia. The western coast...there are two holes in the map where nothing is mapped. It is just cut off."

"Cut off...?"

"It isn't mapped," Percy replied. "I have a feeling that there will be at least two more dangers that we will definitely have to face before we can enter the Mediterranean and sail across to Greece. One of them will probably need Orpheus, as Chiron had told Jason. It may have something to do with music. The other, I am not so sure about."

Grim expressions appeared on all of their faces. "That doesn't sound good," Periclymenus discerned.

"You don't say," was the sarcastic reply from Theseus.

"I was just repeating what was on all of our minds!" the grandson of Poseidon exclaimed.

"Yeah, but we already knew that since we were thinking about it," Theseus countered.

Suddenly, Peleus ran up from the lower decks and ran to the group of four at the stern. He looked wild-eyed and panicky. Fear shone greatly in his eyes, though he looked as though he was trying to hide it. "I have bad news."

"What is it?" Percy asked.

"Thetis came to me," he gulped. "She said that we have to cross through Charybdis and Scylla."

"You mean..."

"Yes, the giant whirlpool and the monster with a thousand necks."

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

**I may be putting all my stories on hiatus for the time being. I have kind of lost inspiration to write these stories...partially because not many view it, but mostly because I just don't feel like writing these anymore, my writing ideas turning to something that is not related to Percy Jackson at all. I may still update, though. Hiatus or not, you will see soon.**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above and if any historical facts are actually wrong. I have spent my time looking through different websites, and even a couple of books, but the story that will continue may have incorrect historical info. Still, I believe it just adds to the effect.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	14. The Dangers of Ausonia and Thrinacia

**Hey everyone,**

**Drum roll please! The winner of the poll for whom Percy should be paired with is... ARTEMIS! I should have seen that coming from a mile away. Either way, I'd like to warn all of you readers that should this stand, the amount of romance in the stories will be considerably less, considering I will be following the PJO and HoO plots quite closely, though with much different twists. Yes, I will enter the modern era. Depending on the response from reviewers, I will decide whether I put up a poll to make sure Artemis is the winner with the final three contestants or put up a poll regarding the girls that Percy will have quite a lot of romantic moments, though not too cheesy, in the actual story rather than him disappearing. I'm sorry, but the gods don't interfere on quests and Percy will be on a lot of those.**

**Choose. Do you want lots of Percyx_ moments in the story or are you okay with just presuming he is with her, some intimate moments fluttered in the background? Choose, choose, choose.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**The Dangers of Ausonia and Thrinacia**

It wasn't long before Medea and Jason arrived back at the _Argo_ with news regarding Circe and what had happened in that palace of hers.

It would be an understatement to say they were shocked to hear what Peleus had discovered from Thetis. Sure they had been dubious to that news at first, but after Peleus swore to the River Styx that Thetis _had_ come to him to warn him, they reluctance to believe him dissipated like a spray of water into vapor.

Percy wondered if Hera or Athena had anything to do with that, but it was the least of his concerns. His main concern at the moment was to worry about what the second danger was.

It wasn't to say Charybdis and Scylla wasn't worrying, but Peleus said Thetis would help them. Hopefully the nymph would keep her word. Thankful to Hera, Jason spent the rest of the day trying to figure out what the second danger could possibly be. Medea, Atalanta, Theseus, Periclymenus, Peleus, Ancaeus and Percy helped him. Meanwhile, the others would row. Surely using physical strength couldn't be as tiring as using mental strength.

"My mind is going to blow up," Jason groaned. He paced around the dining room where the large group of men and women were circled around the head table. "We've been trying all day, yet we still can't find an answer."

"We need to get Orpheus here," Theseus said confidently. "Why you haven't brought him in...I don't know. If this last challenge involves him, why not bring him in?"

"Because we already know what he is good at," said the son of Aeson. He stopped at the head chair and put a fist on the table. He punched down and splintered the wood. "He is good at music and was taught by Apollo. It must involve music. Surely, Percy must have told you that."

"Yes, but to consult the actual man is better than sitting here moaning about not being able to figure it out," he argued. "I think that we should get his opinion don't you think?"

"Theseus does have a point," Atalanta said tiredly. "Jason, you can't believe that going through everything that _we_ know to figure out why Chiron wanted Orpheus to come on this quest. I think it is best that we getting the son of Calliope's opinion."

"Do you agree with everything Theseus says nowadays?" Jason asked, evidently frustrated.

"No, but I see the sense that he has in his words," countered the young woman. "What he says does, in fact, make sense. Why try to figure it out ourselves when we can get the opinion of the one who will get us through? Come on, Jason. We have been on the seas for almost two years. Summer will be arriving sometime in the near future."

Jason breathed deeply and looked to Medea. The daughter of Aeëtes nodded, a serious expression on her face. Then he bit his lip before turning to Percy. "Go get Orpheus."

Percy stood up, obeying Jason's orders, and heading upstairs. Normally, he hated responding to orders, but in certain situations he would listen to others. He had done so many times in this quest. The only one who could order Percy around without his hesitation was Chiron.

Percy walked up to the top deck and looked around. They could see the Ausonian coast, but other than that, to the other sides was all ocean, normal ocean. Percy could feel that the ocean went on for a while, much longer than he would have thought. Then again, Ausonia was larger than Greece. He wondered if in the future the Greeks would spread to Ausonia. He knew Corinthians were trying to get to Thrinacia to settle there. He figured Ausonia would be a better bet, though.

"Orpheus!" Percy called. "Are you here?"

A man two rows down the port side of the bireme raised his head. "Hey, Percy. What do you want with me?"

"Jason," the son of Poseidon said gesturing with his head to the stairs. Then he looked out at the rowers, who were working fairly hard, sweat pouring down most of their faces. "And... even though Jason didn't order you to... everyone take a break. Just keep the sails flapping. As long as we keep moving. If we don't, start rowing again."

Orpheus stood up from his spot and gave the young boy a small grin. Percy followed Orpheus downstairs as the elated sailors stood up from their seats stretching out.

"So... what a long quest this has been, eh?" Orpheus said trying to spark a conversation. "Two years almost. I can't believe it, but it has felt like we've been on this quest for forever yet barely at all. Do you get what I am saying?"

"Yes," replied Percy. "Some parts of the quest have gone by quickly, the more exciting parts. Waiting for Jason to come to his senses on Lemnos and for the Boreads to return from chasing the harpies were pretty bad times, though I am pretty sure we all found ways to keep ourselves amused. I think the worst was up north. Not even Calaïs and Zetes were happy... and their father is the North Wind for the gods' sake!"

Orpheus nodded recalling to the depressing events from before. "I can agree with you there, Percy." He shook his head as if to clear it of bad thoughts. Then he asked, "Where are they? Jason and the others, I mean."

"Dining room," was the short reply.

"All right," Orpheus comprehended. "That means we go this way."

Orpheus and Percy went down one more flight of stairs before emerging on the very bottom deck of the bireme. They walked to the right, the dining room on the "east" side. Percy had forgotten to mention that when the ship was built, the bow was considered north, the stern the south, port the west, and starboard the east. Even though the boat wasn't always travelling with the bow facing north, Argus said that sailors and shipwrights had to believe that their ships were their own living things. Percy remembered the stories of the god Hephaestus creating automatons, machines that lived. It must have been lonely.

When they emerged in front of the sullen crowd, Jason immediately stood up and walked over to Orpheus. The others looked up from their spots around the head table.

"Orpheus," Jason said shaking the other man's hand. "It is been a long journey."

"That it has."

Jason sighed somberly. "But we face two more dangers. Two more dangers along the coast of Ausonia before we are home free to Greece. One of them apparently involves you."

Orpheus raised an eyebrow. "It does?"

"Chiron told Percy and I that we would need you on this quest for a certain moment," Jason explained. "Since we are pretty certain that has not happened yet, we assume that one of these dangers approaching involves you. It may not be true, but we believe that it has to be. After this, it is our last stretch to home. After two years at long last we will reach Iolcus."

Percy wondered if the others were thinking the same thing. Recently, he'd thought of a horrible probability. Since Zeus had previously sent them north, away from Greece, this time Percy hypothesized that Zeus might send them south this time, toward Libya. Ancaeus had definitely thought of that first, though.

"You are probably right, my lord," Orpheus said. "What shall we do?"

"We have been discussing all day, Orpheus, but we cannot come to a conclusion because there are disagreements between us."

"My argument is reasonable," Theseus interrupted. "Consulting Orpheus is better than what you had planned. I apologize for interrupting, but I wanted to make sure you have that drilled in your head, son of Aeson."

"We believe that it may have something to do with music, though there are no legends regarding this side of the world that even Circe knows," Jason continued, ignoring Theseus completely. "Medea and I consulted her if there would be any challenges ahead. She said two. We didn't think they would be treacherous. One of them already is. Do you have any idea what music lies upon this side of the world?"

Orpheus put his "thinking-face" on, scrunching up his nose and pressing his lips together so tight they were almost white. "There is nothing that I recall. Apollo did tell me ancient legends though. There is this old myth he once told me about something to do with horrifying creatures. They were supposedly in the far west, near the edge of the world. Considering there is only ocean further west, I believe this might be it."

"An old myth with horrifying creatures," remarked Percy. "What _new_ news!" The tone of sarcasm was clearly evident.

"Apollo told me that these creatures are not like the others, that they do not attack with ferociousness, but rather grace and eloquentness." Orpheus scratched his chin where stubble had grown. "I think they were called the Sirens. They were supposed to be creatures with the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a bird. They had feathers and were enchanting."

"Enchanting?" questioned Periclymenus. "I hardly believe their lower half being that of a bird's is 'enchanting.'"

"Not their appearances, their voices." Orpheus' eyes suddenly lit up. "I remember it clearly now. Apollo told me this when I was five. The Sirens are quite few in numbers, but they all carry harps. They were bird-women, as birds are considered to have sweet singing voices. They were not that appealing through physical appearances, but Apollo said that for extra measures, considering it is mostly men who sail, they always stay nude to show their... uh... breasts to seduce. Their main way to enchant, however, is by singing. They all have harps and their enchanting music will make the will of the most powerful demigod in existence crumble. Even the gods have trouble with their music, though the Sirens do not try to eat them."

"These Sirens could enchant Heracles?" asked Jason disbelievingly.

Orpheus nodded grimly, now realizing the true fear of what was happening.

Jason called for Theseus and Orpheus to speak with him regarding where the map said they were and where the myth's location should have been. The others moved toward them, ready to see if the warning should be spread to the men above deck. All of them did that... except for Percy.

He frowned when he thought he heard something humming. He turned around to see what had happened, but nothing was there. This only made him more curious as to what was happening. Something caught his attention, though. It was a framed piece of writing on the wall. It said something about the journal of Bellerophon, but the words did not catch his attention. The way the framed work was shaking side to side, as if shivering. That's when he realized the boat was vibrating... and it wasn't because of the water.

"Jason! Orpheus!" shouted the frightened son of Poseidon. "We need to get above deck."

Jason eyed him warily "Is that your opinion on whether we should—"

"We need to get above deck _now_!"

"What are you talking about, Percy?" Theseus said. His eyes shone with curiosity. "Why do we need to get above deck now?"

"I think—I think we're approaching the land of the Sirens," Percy said. He looked extremely frightened and his face was pale.

Then something seemed to snap in Orpheus and immediately a wonderful song filled the ears of all of those in the dining room. Orpheus, playing the harp, was playing a song that sounded like spring, where the flowers were blooming and everything was opening up beautifully. Each of the men and women inside the dining room were temporarily stunned, all staring at Orpheus.

When the young musician walked carefully up the stairs, they all followed, moving like an army, one by one marching in the path of Orpheus' music.

Then, soon enough, they found themselves above deck, every man and woman aboard the _Argo_ listening enchantedly to Orpheus' music. The ones who had been in the dining room were finally free from the inability to speak. They sang with him, though they weren't even close to match his wondrous music. Percy was the closest.

Orpheus kept his concentration up, sweat beading his forehead. Then Percy watched as a murky-watered coast appeared before them, haze misting a clear view of the shoreline. But he could see the outlines of the Sirens. Somewhere in the back of his mind, his head was vibrating, the Sirens' songs trying to pry at his will.

But Orpheus' music echoed off the caverns and cliffs that had begun to rise. His music was far too loud and too wonderful to ignore.

Orpheus continued playing music until the mist and haze was far behind them, far in the distance. Many eyes turned from the disappearing land of the Sirens to the musician who had stopped to take a break. Then, for the second time in two days, cheering erupted aboard the _Argo_.

The sailors of the _Argo_, the Argonauts, lifted Orpheus up on their shoulders and chanted his name over and over again, much like they had Percy's the morning of the day previous.

Percy couldn't help but smile at the gratitude the young man was showing. After all, not everyone would go down in history as the savior of the Argonauts from the Sirens. Orpheus would, though. Everyone would learn his name soon. He deserved to be cheered on, for without his help, the Argonauts would surely have perished.

"Thank you, Chiron," Percy muttered, a grin touching his face. "You did it."

* * *

Peleus paced the deck worryingly, his footsteps abnormally loud.

The sea around the _Argo_ was beginning to get a little rough, the waves and water churning, smacking the boat in the direction of the current. It was slowing their progress, but Percy knew one thing for sure: they were nearing Scylla and Charybdis.

It was probably why Peleus looked so worried, although it was puzzling as to why he was extremely stressed out when others were merely scared. The boy had always wondered what had gotten to Peleus when he spoke with Thetis. It couldn't have been that bad... or good. Talking to a god wasn't _that_ special. Even when Percy talked with his own father, the shock had settled in quickly. He had gotten accustomed to the presence of the godly figure quite quickly.

Maybe it was just because he was his father. He was sure Heracles felt the same way to his father, how easy it was to be around the King of Olympus. The only thing was that he wasn't sure if the son of Zeus had ever met his father... or even cared. Zeus was terribly known for not caring much for his demigod children but rather the actual women themselves that he had partnered with.

"Percy! Percy!"

The shouts finally registered in his ears and he turned around to see Atalanta and Theseus waving at him. They looked as though they were urging him to follow them, to come below deck with them.

He sighed and made his way to the other two, walking down the steps until he met their grim gazes.

"You feel that change in the _Argo_'s sailing patterns, don't you?" asked Theseus, a hint of panic in his voice. "We're nearing Scylla and Charybdis."

"Well, if you know, why are you asking me?" replied the young boy.

"Theseus was actually just wondering... Thetis could use a helping hand," Atalanta said. "Maybe gaining the favor of another immortal will be good for us. Try to help Thetis when we get closer to the whirlpool. With what Peleus is going on right now I assume that the plan is to sail closer to Charybdis so that we don't have to risk any Argonauts?"

"I think so," Percy replied.

"Well, it sounds good to me, as long as we don't die," Theseus said. "If we do, I promise that I will find Peleus and strangle him in the Underworld."

"Yeah, yeah..." Percy trailed off, creating a bit of an awkward silence. Then he noticed something he hadn't really taken into account before. "Why do you two spend so much time around each other? Almost everywhere I go you two seem to be side-by-side, like you're..." He went wide-eyed. "You're not... are you?"

Theseus looked a little pained and turned away slightly. Atalanta grimaced before shaking her head honestly. "I'm sorry, Percy, but it wouldn't make much sense to you. When you get older, you will realize that love is more complicated than it seems."

Normally, Percy would have prodded more, poking into what she had meant by that, but the way Theseus looked after he'd brought that up made him second-guess himself. He had a feeling that would be a very, very stupid choice. Instead, he settled with an, "Okay."

To his surprise, Atalanta kissed him on the cheek. It was a totally sisterly kiss.

"Good luck, Percy," she said before leading a dejected-looking Theseus to his room.

Percy hadn't seen that face on Theseus since the last person died on this quest. How he had gotten to that mood puzzled Percy. He was fine just a second ago, but as soon as Percy mentioned something to do with him and Atalanta spending a lot of time together, all traces of happiness had left him. What had happened between them? Did they have some sort of argument? Why did Atalanta feel sorry for him? Percy had a bad feeling that it related to something about rejection.

It must have been harsh if he looked that bad. But then why would Atalanta be helping him if she had rejected him so harshly. It didn't add up.

Percy had always figured that his father wasn't the craftiest, wisest or most intelligent of the gods and goddesses, so he assumed that his hyperactive brain came from his mother's side. Wherever she had come from, Percy had to find out. He made a vow to find out the truth behind the history of his mortal bloodline. It puzzled him as to why he could sometimes overcomplicate things through problem-solving.

He shook the thoughts out of his head as he made his way back above deck. There, Periclymenus and Peleus were staring out at the ocean waters, the former trying to calm the latter down.

"It'll be all right, Peleus," Periclymenus said in a soothing tone. "What's got you riled up anyway?"

"Nothing," Peleus said a little quickly.

Periclymenus raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that?"

"Yes."

"All right, I believe you."

Percy walked up to the two men and gave them both smiles. "Hello, Periclymenus—Peleus. It think we're about to sum up a very long journey up in unfriendly territory. A long time, almost half a year."

"Yes, a long journey. There's no need to repeat ourselves."

Percy nodded and stared out at the rocky waves that were smashing at the boat, white foam hissing atop the dark, grey waters. They looked plenty unfriendly to Percy, though it was probably because they were near a monster. Out further west, he could see glittering green water, so beautiful that it was hard to believe it led to the end of the world.

"Scylla and Charybdis approach soon, I can feel it," Peleus said looking straight forward, dead ahead. "This is the second hole in the map. It has been over a day after the land of the Sirens. I hope this doesn't go awry."

"Don't worry." Periclymenus patted him on the shoulder. "As long as Thetis comes, we should be fine."

"Oh I hope Thetis does help," he replied almost longingly.

Periclymenus turned to Percy and raised an eyebrow. A smirk tugged at the young man's lips. Then he turned back to Peleus. "Yes, I'm sure Thetis will arrive. She did tell you something, didn't she?"

"Yes..." the man nodded with a slightly vacant expression on his face. Then he realized what he'd said and turned to Periclymenus. "I mean... uh... tell me what?"

"You're lost in thought, Peleus. Come on, just spit it out."

Peleus sighed and leaned against the gunwales as he sat down. "Fine, if you want to know _so_ badly, here's what Thetis told me. She said there were rumors flying around of a prophecy that said something about a great warrior, and that Poseidon and Zeus, who had been approaching her previously, suddenly stopped. She said she's not sure, but there is some talk about a marriage between me and Thetis."

Periclymenus' eyes nearly fell out of his head. "What?"

"I feel angry because I think it has something to do with a great warrior that neither god wants to have in fear of the other killing him," he said. "I think they are just picking out some random mortal warrior to marry her. But at the same time... Thetis is _very_ beautiful."

"You're clear-sighted?" Percy asked.

Peleus nodded.

"Wow... didn't know that."

"There are many things you can still learn, young Percy." Peleus winked at him just before the _Argo_ suddenly lurched to one side. As they were sitting freely on the deck, they were thrown at the gunwales, Peleus nearly falling into the ocean.

Percy managed to grab him before he could be left behind and with Periclymenus' help, he was back onboard the ship clutching his chest. He was breathing in short, rapid breaths that clearly indicated he was nearly frightened to death from the sudden lurching and almost falling into the ocean.

"What is that?" Periclymenus asked, his eyes wide with fear.

Percy turned to see what he was looking at and nearly peed his pants. In the far distance, a giant cliff stood, seemingly harmless. But by the giant waves that were sent pounding at the _Argo_'s hull signified one thing.

"Scylla and Charybdis," Peleus muttered. His eyes shone with as much if not more fear than Periclymenus'. Hades, even Percy was freaked out.

He saw the swamping waves as they rocked like crazy. He watched as the storm in the distance suddenly stopped, and for a split second, nothing happened except for the advances of the _Argo_. Then a loud wail resonated off the water and a huge wall of water erupted from where the storm was, crashing down and sending shockwaves through the water's surface. The calm of the sea, the split second it had stopped, finally reached them. None of the crew were anxious to endure what was coming next.

"Hit the deck!" Periclymenus yelled as all Argonauts above deck jumped out of their seats and braced themselves.

The water sloshed over the gunwales of the _Argo_ and doused every single Argonaut on deck. Most sputtered as the water had entered their mouths and noses. Percy didn't mind, though. Water was his friend... usually. This time it hardly seemed like the loud, churning waters of Charybdis would be friendly towards him.

"Thetis will appear soon," muttered Peleus as if trying to convince himself of that. "She will appear soon."

Percy turned to Periclymenus. "Get everybody below deck. I'll keep the boat moving. I can withstand the water."

"You sure, Percy?" the grandson of Poseidon asked. "You can always use a helping hand."

"No, I'll keep the boat moving. Just get everyone below deck."

Soon, Periclymenus had begun herding everybody down below the main deck, many watching Percy with curious and worried looks. He was grateful that people cared for his safety, but water was his home turf. He would be able to survive without much harm done to him. That's when he heard the roaring of the whirlpool.

Before, it had just been a static background noise. But as the ship approaching, beginning to listen to Percy's command, the roaring of the whirlpool got louder. Charybdis sounded angry, really angry.

He tried focusing on the lighter things, like how he was controlling the ship on pure command.

The sails listened to his every word, his every wish. They caught the wind perfectly. The oars rowed on their own in a magical way, pushing through the water. The more energy Percy had, the faster the oars would row. His energy was slowly draining. He could only hope for Thetis' intervention.

Theseus and Atalanta had wanted him to help Thetis in calming the waters so that the _Argo_ to get through. He, too late, realized his mistake with sending the rowers under. If they hadn't gone down, he might have been able to help calm the waters whilst the ship continued sailing on at a cruising speed. Now that they were under... he could only do one or the other.

_There is another possibility you know, Perseus_, a woman's voice spoke in his head.

He was suddenly drawn to the water on the starboard side of the _Argo_. He looked over the edge and saw water nymphs wave at Percy. The leader at the head was truly magnificent, her brown hair waving as she swam along. This was definitely Thetis.

_Push the boat along with the waves,_ she said. _Control your inner power. The water is within you, haven't you noticed?_

He stared at the nymph as she winked at him before disappearing below the depths with her sisters, cousins and friends to calm the ocean around Charybdis. Percy noticed that they were at a great distance away from Scylla. He was grateful, not wanting to become the dinner for a monstrous menace with hundreds of necks.

The only problem was that he now had to cross the path of Charybdis' whirlpool.

Percy's fear nearly took over when the _Argo_ reached the edge of the whirlpool, but then the water suddenly calmed. The nymphs were at work.

Charybdis roared angrily and sucked in at an even faster pace, causing the continuation of the whirlpool. Then, the _Argo_ shuddered and started moving faster than ever. They had entered the whirlpool.

"Come on, Thetis," Percy muttered, trying his best to control the seas.

The main problem he was having was that Charybdis was much too noisy and loud to be able to concentrate. She was riling up such a fuss that he could barely think clearly about something in his head. Percy wondered if babies were like this. He'd heard stories of babies being annoying as Hades.

The whirlpool was slowing down though, a magical force struggling to push it away. Percy knew that he and the nymphs were beginning to get a control of the seas around Charybdis. He could feel the shuddering of the boat, the struggling of the waves. He tried his best to shoot the _Argo_ out of the whirlpool but he couldn't.

Then the sea calmed. Percy braced himself for what was to follow.

Charybdis exploded with such ferocity, Percy nearly fell on his back from the outcry of the monster... just the outcry.

Giant waves came crashing down, lifting the _Argo_ up on giant walls of water before slamming down back to the surface.

_Now, son of Poseidon! Now!_

On pure instinct and by a gut feeling, Percy summoned a wave that sent the _Argo_ shooting forward. A sudden gale hit the sails that wasn't there before. With a shock, Percy realized he'd created a miniature squall.

Since that was not enough to completely freeze him from shock, Thetis suddenly shimmered into appearance right next to him. Graciously helping him sit down. She smiled at him, as if she were looking at a son of hers or something. Her words were simple and blunt: "Tell Peleus I'll be waiting. It is finalized."

"Wait, what?"

"Goodbye, son of Poseidon." And with that awkward and short encounter, she disappeared into the sunlight.

Percy looked up into the sky and was shocked to see Helios up in the sky. They hadn't seen him since Circe's island, Aeaea. It was nice to be able to see the sunlight again. He sighed before the recent events came crashing down on him like a brick wall. He grinned and lay down on the deck, a smile touching his face once again.

"We did it!" Percy cried. "We did it!"

He crawled his way over to the helm and grabbed the conch shell. He blew three blasts, and although that was not a part of the conch shell system, he made it up as they had no alarm for "everything is clear and safe."

He continued blowing the three blasts until the Argonauts slowly filed out of the lower decks, shielding their eyes from the glaring sunlight.

Percy smiled at all those around him, just in a positive mood. "We made it! We're almost home! Not much longer."

"Almost home," agreed Orpheus wistfully.

It almost seemed like a perfect picture ending, the scene unraveling around them with the _Argo_ in the sunlight, the beams of light bouncing off of the ocean. But the Fates had more in store for them. The picture perfect end was much more beautiful and romantic than this.

For now, though, Percy accepted this and passed out on the deck from lack of sleep and exhaustion.

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

**Only a three day hiatus, I think. What a break, huh? (Note the sarcasm.)**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above and if any historical facts are actually wrong. I have spent my time looking through different websites, and even a couple of books, but the story that will continue may have incorrect historical info. Still, I believe it just adds to the effect.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	15. Percy Can't See

**Hey everyone,**

**I would like all of you avid readers to vote for the poll. That's right, there is a poll up on my profile page regarding this story. There are three options as to what you want to happen.**

**Number one is that Percy becomes a minor character in the story, but is partnered with Artemis. I MUST REMIND YOU SHOULD THIS OPTION BE CHOSEN, PERCY WILL NOT APPEAR IN MOST OF THE STORIES. HE WILL FADE INTO THE BACKGROUND AND WILL NOT BE MENTIONED AS OFTEN. HE WILL PROBABLY APPEAR AS MUCH AS ARIADNE IN THE TITAN'S CURSE. JUST SEEN WALKING HAND-IN-HAND WITH ARTEMIS. THIS IS A FAIR WARNING.**

**Number two is that Percy stays a major character in the story, but is attracted to Artemis (and vice-versa); however they do not pair up simply because Artemis and Percy do not want to cause any trouble. I KNOW CAPS MAKES IT LOOK LIKE I'M ANGRY, BUT I'M NOT. THIS ONE WILL ALLOW ME TO REALLY FOCUS ON ANOTHER PAIRING THAT NONE OF YOU WILL HAVE CONTROL OVER. SUFFICE IT TO SAY, I REALLY LIKE THIS OPTION, THOUGH IN THE END IT IS YOUR CHOICE.**

**Number three is that Percy stays a major character in the story and will not like Artemis, but rather a different character of your choice in another poll. THIS ONE MAY BE A LITTLE DIFFICULT CONSIDERING PERCY HAS SPENT THOUSANDS OF YEARS ON GAEA TO FIND SOME RANDOM GIRL BORN IN THE 2000s TO BE ATTRACTED TO. PLUS, IT MAKES MY TIME WITH THE OTHER MAJOR PAIRING CONFLICT HARDER.**

**Either way, vote vote vote! Vote, vote, vote!**

**PLEASE NOTE THAT I WILL NOT GIVE PERCY GODHOOD, OLYMPIAN GODHOOD, AS ONE OR TWO PEOPLE HAVE SUGGESTED. THAT WOULD MAKE THIS SERIES COMPLETELY UNREALISTIC AND STUPID. I AM NOT ANGRY, JUST TRYING TO GET THE ATTENTION OF THOSE WHO DON'T USUALLY READ AUTHOR'S NOTES. PERCY WILL NOT HAVE DONE ANYTHING THAT THE GODS ARE INDEBTED TO IN THE FIRST TWO STORIES (Argonauts and Trojan/Punic Wars). THAT IS MY FINAL WORD (or two words): NO GODHOOD.**

**_Just a note about copying and pasting author's notes...in the past, I have had readers who did not read the author's notes until later chapters. I just want to keep reminding. If you have already seen the author's notes, you can just skip them and go straight to reading the story. Thank you._**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**Percy Can't See**

Relief couldn't have been more evident amongst the Argonauts.

Joyous times these were for the men and women, most being on this epic voyage for two years. The day after passing through Scylla and Charybdis marked the second anniversary of the departure from the beach of Iolcus.

It was the day after the anniversary when they reentered the Sea of Kronos, the sea that lay between Ausonia and Greece.

The only thing that was keeping the Argonauts going was their strength, though they knew hunger and thirst would consume them soon. Among the most needy were the main rowers, the ones who spent their most energy. It had always been a fear of the Argonauts that one day they would run out of food and water to eat and drink. It had happened once, it was beginning once again.

Weeks had passed, Hades, a full month had passed since they last raided an barbarian encampment. Their lack of food almost meant that the least needy ones, people who rarely spent their time and energy to help keep the ship going got less food. Percy was glad to say the least when he got fed at least something more than stale bread and hare meat that wasn't cooked completely.

He and Atalanta had collected a lot of animal meats for the group, but unfortunately, raw meats didn't last very long so the meats had sort of dropped off ever since they paddled back down the Eridanus.

The most important thing, though, was that they were crossing the Sea of Kronos right at that moment. They were about to reach home. At least, according to the maps and the overexcited crew of the _Argo_.

Percy's mind still rattled with doubt, though. He had surely been confident telling Ancaeus that Hera, Athena and Poseidon would have their backs. He wasn't, however, confident in his own words.

He had been plagued with the doubt that had been eating away at him for so long. What would the Argonauts think if they were pushed down to Libya? Would they be angry? Would they be frustrated? Would they finally feel so helplessly lost that they had no wish to continue on, that the Argonauts would split to find their own ways back home? Once Zeus pushed them to a place, Percy was certain the King of the Gods would endure what he sent them there for before allowing them to arrive back in Greece.

That wouldn't be such a problem if Percy had loyal friends. Atalanta and Theseus were close to Percy, even at times feeling as close as siblings... but in truth, they were different. They weren't his age and they couldn't relate to the same things.

Years of being alone had begun to affect the demigod. He'd endured others' deaths, seen suffering, the scarred images burned into his brain, and had no friends his age. He got rather lonely at times when he stared out at the ocean. Sometimes he'd fantasized that he had two friends next to him, talking happily with him, as if they had been friends since they were born. Those were just hallucinations.

"Stress," Percy muttered. "I'm stressing out right now."

At least he had people who cared about him more than a broomstick. Jason was one, Medea quickly becoming that of an older sister along with Atalanta and Theseus (though he was more of a brother than a sister; some might confuse themselves about that) plus Periclymenus, Argus, the Boreads and the Dioscuri. Orpheus and Peleus sort of, though they paid far less attention to him than the others.

During the party, where wine had somehow sustained itself on the ship (Percy thought it was probably one of Dionysus' kids), Percy got up and walked above deck, not feeling in the right place with the older men. Like he said, he didn't fit in with them; he was far too young.

He wasn't bothered by the fact that Jason and Medea's love-filled cries echoed down the hallway as he passed through that deck. It was getting normal now, the two apparently going at it for most of the day. It wasn't that he wanted to hear those things, but the news just spread to him like wildfire.

In the end, what mattered most to Percy was that the two at least had each other to accompany themselves with. He bet even Theseus and Atalanta were having a decent time down there, even after Theseus' disheartened mood from a few days past.

Percy figured it had to do with Athena or something. Maybe he found out about something that she did? He had infinite guesses... well, maybe not infinite but as many as there were possible.

Why did he immediately affiliate Athena? Well, for one, Theseus had admitted to having a crush on the goddess, even if slight. Second... well, there wasn't a second other than the fact that he knew Theseus quite well. He had talked to Theseus everyday, even longer than most, other than Atalanta...

Percy admitted to thinking there was something going on between them, but he was too afraid to ask what was really happening regarding him. If he got rejected by Atalanta, good for him. Either way, Percy felt a little bitter.

He clambered onto the top deck with a bottle in his hand, a bottle of wine. He was young, far too young to drink the stuff, but he figured he'd try it, just to see what it was like. Barely a sip and he recoiled at the taste. It was sweet yet bitter at the same time. A weird combination.

Then he frowned and tried again. By the time Selene was high up in the sky, dazzling even more beautifully than Helios, the wine bottle was empty and Percy was puking into the ocean. He felt bad that he was throwing up his waste into the ocean waters his father controlled, but the alcohol had really gotten to him. His throat was burning from chugging the last half of the bottle in one go and the puking. His head spun and he felt ready to pass out. But he didn't.

He spent the until dawn stumbling about the empty deck, everyone finally resting altogether. He mumbled incoherent words in the moonlight, the moon turning a pale blue. It looked kind of—It reflected kind of a pale face of someone, as if they were worried about him. He cast the thought away just as he tripped over his own foot and slammed into the deck, hard.

When dawn cracked, and the first person to come onto the top deck for the day appeared, Percy was already lying half-unconscious against the mast of the largest sail. The person rushed over to him and a soft, feminine voice reached his ears. "Percy! There you are! You didn't come back to our room last night! What happened?"

He never got to answer her question, though, as darkness consumed him and he descended into the land of Morpheus.

The dream was rather awkward, seemingly a moment of the near future. Recent dreams he had all related to the past of some sort, either him watching the heroes of the past era or Heracles completing his latests feats. This one came back to Atlas' mountain far out at the western edges of the world.

He was suddenly thrust into a body and he felt that he was running, the moon high in the sky. Sure enough, when he looked down, his legs were pounding hard against the dusty sand of the seeming desert around it and his arms were swinging forward and backwards.

He heard a shout from behind him and wanted to turn around to look. The cry had definitely called his name, Percy. But this dream-Percy didn't want to turn around. He bolted straight up the side of the mountain, clinging onto thin, rocky ledges as he climbed the side of the mountain. He saw the winding path that twirled around like a serpent up the side of the mountain, but he wanted to get to the top as fast as he could, so he skipped running along the path and tried cutting through instead. He didn't arrive any faster than he would have running and now he had cuts and scrapes all over him from clambering about the sharp, jagged rocks.

When he reached the top of the mountain, he crept through the forest. Then something like the opposite of nostalgia hit him, though not like a feeling of dread. It was just neutral, a place he remembered from a dream a couple years ago. He didn't particularly _hate_ the place, but he didn't like it either.

As he walked closer to the spot he had been at in the previous dream, a loud voice began screaming. "Traitor! You lied to my face, to your sisters' faces! I shall cast away your immortality forever! You shall grow old and die remembering that no one cared about you. He left didn't he, pretended that he would take you. Well, Zoë, you get what you deserve!"

"Father! Please, no!" an anguished voice cried out. She sounded so broken, Percy had the odd feeling of running up to her and comforting her.

Percy climbed up onto a tree and watched as the thirteen-year-old-looking girl begged on her knees at the Titan's foot.

"I didn't honestly help him!" she begged. "I just... I—"

"Don't even try to cover up for what you have done," the Titan sneered. His anger seemed to remove all signs of pain from holding up the sky. Those dark, volcanic eyes looked like they were about to explode into blazes of lava and fire. He gave his daughter a cold look. "Hesperides!"

Soft, enchanting voices began singing, approaching as they moved closer. Percy had a feeling that they could only be summoned by their father, the only other time they emerged being that to watch Helios set.

Out of the darkness appeared four lovely ladies who looked exactly like Zoë, except all of different ages. Zoë appeared to be the youngest, even if the legend said they were born at the same time. They looked at Zoë in distaste as they passed her, regarding their father with respect.

"Father," they chorused, bowing at the Titan under the sky.

"Finish the rituals," he said glowering. "Disown Zoë and make sure she gets the message that she is not welcome back here. She will never return. It will be the end for her."

Cruel smiles slowly appeared on the Hesperides' faces as Percy realized what had happened. _He_, the one who Zoë supposedly helped, was Heracles. Heracles had said he would marry her, he had promised he would come back for her. Apparently coming back could be twisted around to mean, _I'll come back for you so that you can see me one last time before I disappear from your life forever_.

Anger screamed in his ears and he prayed to his father that Heracles' journeys would get tougher and tougher, especially on water.

The four other Hesperides raised their hands and began chanting in an ancient language, in something Percy couldn't understand. Frightened, he realized they were speaking in the ancient tongue of magic. Zoë looked up at her sisters in horror, tears welling in her eyes. Percy was admittedly shocked seeing as she was the daughter of Atlas, who was the Titan of strength.

A bright glow that had surrounded Zoë previously began fading as the Hesperides chanted, getting louder and louder. After watching for what seemed to be minutes, the glow that represented Zoë's immortality faded and she looked weary, scared and heartbroken.

A growl escaped out of Atlas' mouth before Zoë, weeping, turned around and ran away, into the forest Percy was still in. Breaking out of "spectator mode," he gave chase to her.

"Zoë! Stop!" Percy urged, trying to keep his voice down.

Startled, she whirled her head around and stumbled when she saw him running after her. She kept wide eyes pointed at him, her running breaking into a back pedal. Percy stopped running and approached her as gently as he could.

"I'm not here to harm you," he felt himself saying, though in this dream he felt much more tired than he was now. His chest was heaving from running, his throat dry from thirst. "I heard what happened with Herac—"

"Don't speak of his name!" she growled, her eyes blazing with anger and betrayal. "Who are you and what do you want with me?"

"I'm Perseus but I prefer to be called Percy because I'll never live up to the first Perseus," he explained soothingly. "Now, I saw what just happened."

"Spying I assume," she snapped. "Maybe watching for when I'm alone so _he_ can surprise me and rape me." She looked like she was trying to be confident but her shaky voice ruined the attempted affect.

Percy opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly the dream melted away from him and three angry, raspy voices screamed at him. "How dare you look into the future without the authority!"

Their voices were so horrible that Percy's ears almost felt as if they were bleeding. He thought he felt himself clutch his ears and thought he screamed. But he saw nothing, as if it were a ghostly feeling that was touching him.

"Punish!" said one. "He needs to be punished, looking into the future without permission."

"Yes," said another. "He is not an oracle, not a seer, does not have the power of the prophecy. Punishment must be placed upon him."

Pain shot up his spine as if something had whipped him. Then like fire, it spread throughout his body. He felt as if poison had been injected into his veins, a poison so strong yet controlled that it would deliver him the worst pain that anyone would ever feel without death resulting. He was screaming, a bloodcurdling scream, he was sure of it. There was absolutely nothing he could do.

The voices had to be the Fates. Who else would not want the future to be seen unless he or she was an oracle or seer, especially by a mere mortal?

The pain suddenly grew more intense, as if Percy was being pierced by a hundred uncooled knives. He felt as though he was being cauterized. His screams only grew louder until the point when he felt as though the Fates were going to kill him in his sleep for accessing forbidden memories of the future.

The images of Zoë and her being exiled from her family seemed to be disappearing as the pain continued growing.

In that very final moment, the moment he thought he was going to die, the moment he wished he had died as the pain was far too much for him, it suddenly uplifted. A proud, loud voice boomed, "STOP!"

The pain didn't leave Percy's body, but he was suddenly aware that it was no longer excruciatingly hot.

"I ordered Morpheus to show him that," the voice said.

"What?" one of the Fates said seemingly baffled.

"Leave him alone! I gave that order!"

Silence ensued, but after a little while, Percy's dream-body still feeling like it had been embedded with white-hot daggers, a hand fell on top of his chest. "This pain has taken its toll on your actual body, but I can heal most of it. You'll just feel sore."

Percy tried speaking but all he could do was mumble.

"I'm sorry for getting you into this trouble," he said. "It was a favor to a friend of mine. My friend said that I needed to show you a glimpse of the future so you would know what is coming. Yes, you will be sent to the edge of the western world, Percy. Be aware. And don't forget, you can always sacrifice to the gods. Push a part of your meal into any campfire after naming a couple of gods in prayer."

"Apollo?" Percy asked, having a feeling the god was the feeling why he felt so much pain.

"I'm sorry, Percy."

Before the dream vanished and Percy's eyes shot open.

"Oh thank the gods!" Atalanta cried, hugging Percy tightly. He felt wet tears drop onto him and tried hugging Atalanta back. Then pain shot up his back when he moved. He yelled, "OW!" before groaning and lying back safely onto the hammock.

Percy blinked a few times before regarding all those standing above him. Theseus, Atalanta, Jason, Medea, Periclymenus and the Boreads were directly above him, a couple of others trying to look over the front row at him.

They all looked white-faced and panicked. Medea even had red eyes, though tears had stopped leaking from her eyes. Theseus even looked scared.

"What happened, Percy?" asked Jason worriedly. "Atalanta woke up in the morning and found you passing out. We assumed that you stole alcohol, so we then put you safely in this hammock. Sometime about twenty minutes ago, you started screaming your head off. It was... indescribable. You wouldn't stop until about two minutes ago, but when we tried prodding you awake, you started screaming again, as if it hurt you. We thought it safe not to touch you, but some of the crew thought it was Zeus punishing us by killing you. We... we..."

"So it wasn't just a dream," Percy muttered.

"What?"

"It... it was just a dream. Nothing to worry about," he lied. "It was terrible, though."

"Why were you screaming, and why are you hurting?" asked Atalanta.

"Last night, I fell down the stairs," Percy concocted. "I hit my head a few times and injured my arms, both of them. I think the alcohol really got to me, so I went back up before falling back down again."

He hoped his lies weren't too blatant.

"Some good news, though, Percy," Zetes said. "Jason and Medea are engaged. Ancaeus said we were being blown to the land of the Phaeacians, so we plan to have the wedding there and invite the king to the feast. Doesn't that sound wonderful? Then we get to go back to Greece, right?"

Percy's spirits fell but he couldn't let the others know... yet. He didn't want to ruin the wedding mood. "Yeah."

Jason smiled and looked down to Percy. "That's great. Just rest up, though don't fall asleep. Maybe you can write what happened in your little journal?"

"Percy can write?" Theseus asked astonished.

Atalanta nodded. "I found this roll of papyrus in Percy's drawer. This has to be his writing because I have checked it every day and it continues growing. It's so cool. It has detailed accounts about almost everything he is thinking of. I can read, just barely, but I can tell he talks most about thoughts about others rather than himself." She gave Percy a pointed look.

He chuckled painfully. "I guess so."

"Well, either way, have fun with it," Jason said, snatching the papyrus from Atalanta's grasp and giving it to Percy. "We'll come down to check on you soon. Maybe you'll feel better once we have landed in the land of the Phaeacians. That way you won't feel too bad that you have to miss our wedding."

"Maybe."

Jason smiled and led Medea out of the room. Slowly, everyone started filing out of the room orderly. Atalanta was the last one to leave. She gave him a sly smile, though her eyes were still red from crying. "Don't lie about falling down the steps. It has to do with your dream. If you're hurting _that_ much, you'd have bruises. Considering you don't have any... It's a little suspicious. And keep working on those abs, Percy. I want a good girlfriend for my little brother."

Percy looked down, ignoring the jolt of pain in his neck. He realized that he had no shirt on and that his abs were beginning to define themselves. Looking up at Atalanta with an embarrassed look on his face, he called after her, though with laboring difficulty, "I'm not your little brother."

She stopped at the door and turned around. "You might as well be," she replied softly before turning and walking out the door.

* * *

"Hold your ground," Percy said to the men behind him. He held his own sword up, ready to defend himself against the surrounding Colchians. They were Aeëtes men, the second fleet that had launched apparently. They had followed the _Argo_'s original path, through the Symplegades and into the Northern Mediterranean. After getting lost on Greece's west coast, they decided to stay here rather than face Aeëtes' wrath. Now, they said, at least they would have Medea and Jason for revenge, to take the Golden Fleece back to Colchis where it "belongs."

More liked where it belong, thought Percy.

"Give us Jason, Medea and the Golden Fleece," the general ordered. "Only then will we leave you alone."

"You'll have to take them from us," Theseus growled.

The general of the Colchian army sneered. "We have waited for your answer for days. Should you refuse the next time we ask you, you will be dead before you can even blink."

"Hold your ground," Percy urged.

"Now, give us Jason, Medea and the Golden Fleece, and we will—"

"Take your stupid offer and go somewhere else!" Theseus snapped.

"Hold your ground!" Percy shouted.

With a tiny flick of a finger, the Colchian army surged forward, ready to annihilate the weary Argonauts, who had just been setting up camp all day. Unfortunately for the Colchians, Percy knew exactly what was coming and pointed at them.

"Hold your ground!" Percy shouted once again.

A wave from behind the Argonauts rose up and washed over the Argonauts, the water spreading well across the massive Colchian army. The water slammed into the Colchian army, sending the first few rows of warriors into a scattering panic. Percy concentrated further and pushed the Colchians back until they stood (or lay) twice as far from the Argonauts as before. There were no casualties.

Suddenly, a horn blasted into the air.

"Royal horn!" Theseus shouted, and Percy made the water recede.

The Colchians, who had been stunned by the wave, watched closely as a chariot appeared, coming down from the palace. It looked royal, pulled by well-groomed horses and decorated with fancy jewels. Percy saw Medea standing in the chariot looking relieved. He immediately knew things had gone all right with the king and queen, the other two who were standing in the chariot. It looked like a tight fit, but they managed.

As soon as the chariot stopped, Medea got off and bowed to the king. The Argonauts followed suit.

The king briefly smiled at them before turning to the Colchians, who looked tiny in the distance. "Colchians, army of the mighty king Aeëtes. I ask you to leave."

The Colchians were still in stunned silence.

The king made his way over to the Argonauts and took each of their soppy, wet hands in a greeting. He didn't seem to mind, though, probably because he heard and saw the wave spray over the Argonauts.

Percy was the last one to leave the beach. He saw the Colchians depart dejected. He didn't go to the palace until he saw each and every Colchian disappear to the north, until he couldn't see any one of them again. Then he slowly walked toward the palace, just in case they were about to charge the palace. Nothing happened, but for the rest of that night, he kept his eyes out.

It wasn't long before Jason and Medea announced to the king, whose name was Alcinous, that they were planning to get married and wished to invite him and the royal family to it. Surprised and shocked, Alcinous stayed speechless. His wife, Queen Arete, spoke for him and graciously accepted it.

The royal family outdid themselves once again, creating a magnificent ceremony and dance in which lasted a span over almost two weeks. It was extremely long and painful, but seeing Jason looking happy made Percy happy. One day maybe Percy would get a wife of some sort and marry her. That would be nice, to have a wife and children.

"I hope that they keep their promises," the voice of an old lady said next to him. "I told him that if he ever betrays her, he will lose my favor."

Percy took a wild guess. "Hera?"

"Hello, Perseus."

"Uh...hi."

She smiled at me before turning back to the dance floor where Jason and Medea were having a solo dance, everyone to watch them as they dance.

"You wish for a nice marriage, too?" was the sudden question.

"How did you know?"

"I am the Queen of the Gods, Percy. I know more than you would think."

"Well...yes. I hope for a nice wedding someday. I want to find a girl, a woman I like and marry her. Maybe the festivities won't be as grand as this one, but something special."

A wistful smile spread across the goddess' face. "You have to make sure you really know who you want to marry, my boy. Not everyone is what they seem like at first, not everyone shows what you truly want after marriage. Think of my husband. He has cheated on me more times than I can keep track of. Some of them I discover much too late, so late that he's had at least half a dozen more affairs since then. For example, Jason may have married Medea, but does he really love her?"

"I hope so," Percy replied.

"Elpis remains trapped in Pandora's _pithos_," Hera said. "But you can always wish for things to happen, yes. It doesn't mean they will always come true. Your day will come, Perseus. You must wait."

"Yes, Lady Hera."

"All right. I guess I will be seeing you another time then, Percy. And be prepared. Everything is about to change."

She turned and walked out of the room in the palace. Percy could almost sense her leaving, a royal, godly presence gone.

There were so many warnings as to what was happening next that Percy had absolutely no doubt as to where they were going next. It was quite blatantly obvious.

Libya. They were going to be blown to Libya.

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above and if any historical facts are actually wrong. I have spent my time looking through different websites, and even a couple of books, but the story that will continue may have incorrect historical info. Still, I believe it just adds to the effect.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	16. Sand-Trek

**Hey everyone,**

**I'd like to announce that although some myths contradict with others, I may need to change the order in which historical myths took place to be able to fit the characters I want into the story.**

**Although the setting is ancient Greece, I will make the characters talk in English and informally, as if they were regular boys/men or girls/women in the modern world. It makes writing this a little bit easier, and the characters more relaxed than if they talked formally all the time.**

**So far, looking at the current standings, it looks like people really want me to have Percy like Artemis in one way or another, but have Percy as a main character in the story. Well, I guess since this is FanFiction, there are a lot of Pertemis shippers here. Honestly, in my opinion, I don't really like to write Pertemis because... I mean, it's not realistic. I try to keep my characters realistic, even though at times they are just blunt and flat. Whatever though. If you haven't voted, vote now before I close it. Just a couple more chapters to vote.**

**_Just a note about copying and pasting author's notes...in the past, I have had readers who did not read the author's notes until later chapters. I just want to keep reminding. If you have already seen the author's notes, you can just skip them and go straight to reading the story. Thank you._**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

**Sand-Trek**

"Hold on tightly!" Jason shouted over the winds.

Like extremely predicted, they were being blown by rogue winds, presumably to Libya. Percy had repeated it to himself too many times in his head to feel any comfort in knowing they would be trapped in the empty lands below, in fact, no one would be comforted at that thought. Sure, most would say that the _Argo_ could just be launched again from the sands. But as he told his journal and mind every time he thought about it, there was no point in Zeus sending us south just to sail right back. There would be something that would hold them back.

Sitting in the cover of being under the top deck, Percy wrote in his journal.

His entries were becoming far too similar now, all of them mostly repeating what he'd said before. It wasn't like he was trying to... just, he was writing what was on his mind. It so happened to be that he'd already written that before.

Percy wished there was something he could do, but the wind was far too strong. This was no squall, not a product of Poseidon. It was Zeus' fury at the Argonauts, even though his own son Polydeuces was on the ship.

The King of the Gods loved punishment. Percy had, in fact, talked with a couple of Phaeacians at Jason's and Medea's wedding. They were young, though he wasn't sure whether they were royalty, for Arete, the queen, was very young. She looked possibly even younger than Medea. He doubted Alcinous and Arete had eloped.

Together, Percy and the children had been discussing about legends of Zeus. Apparently, he had once killed an entire family because the father had blamed Zeus for everything that went wrong in his household, like the sudden robbery and murder of his youngest son. The children he'd met said the man was foolish and agreed with Zeus. Essentially, the King of the Gods sent a bolt of lightning streaking at the household causing it to explode, instantly killing the family.

Percy agreed that the man's stupidity got the best of him, but surely Zeus didn't have to kill the entire family.

They talked some more and learned of supposed children of Poseidon who lived in the ages before Perseus and Cadmus. Apparently, the legends of their deaths had passed down through generations. Zeus had murdered the children of Poseidon simply because they were his brother's spawn. He did not like children of Poseidon.

When Percy had mentioned he was a son of Poseidon, they looked at him incredulously before laughing and complimenting him on that good joke. They said children of Poseidon were usually hunted by Zeus at the young ages of five. As he kept insisting that he was a son of Poseidon, they laughed harder and ridiculed him for going mad.

The next thing he knew all of the wine bottles in the room exploded, glass shattering everywhere. Percy tried not to make it look like his fault considering it was Jason's wedding, but after the party, the son of Aeson confronted him. Jason was clearly angry.

Ever since then, their relationship had kind of been on a strain. Percy knew that Jason really loved Medea, but his bitterness of being alone without any true friends got to him. He'd yelled at Jason when he and Medea were going at it some more, telling them that, "If you don't stop, you're going to get Medea pregnant right when we get to Libya! Think of how it will be then, taking care of a future mom in the middle of a desert!"

Percy had yelled a few more curse words before stomping away. He was pretty sure his anger had propelled the boat toward Libya.

An eerie shadow cast across his face from the torch he'd fixed up on the wall next to him. He scribbled madly on the papyrus. He was beginning to run out of room. It was too bad he couldn't enchant the papyrus paper to continue growing magically.

He didn't want to ask Medea for anything considering he just told her to "jack off herself." His bitter mood was growing and he didn't think anyone wanted to speak to him anymore.

Theseus and Atalanta had stopped trying to approach him, which wasn't a good sign. They had probably heard from Jason and Medea about my "incurable" sour attitude, so they avoided me. Whenever he tried making eye contact with someone, they would hastily pull away and continue what they were doing. Every time he wasn't looking, though, he could sense their gazes back on him.

Not even Periclymenus would talk anymore. He had built quite a strong relationship with the Dioscuri, the Boreads and Orpheus. They barely glanced his way, but he heard them speaking. They had been talking about him.

Percy curled his lip in distaste at himself before rolling up his papyrus. He, in anger, dumped the ink on the floor and then took his _kalamos_ back to his room. He roughly opened the door, opened his drawer and tossed his things in.

Dreams haunted him again. This time, he found himself in the future once again. What was Apollo trying to do? Get him killed for looking too far in the future?

Percy had no idea of the reason behind Apollo's actions, but the notion he had about the god was that Apollo wanted to warn him of something. Apollo seemed to be trying to protect him... unless it was all deceiving. Surely Apollo could have been showing him some false future.

Percy was a ghost, watching as warriors were being scattered. Two armies who had previously clashed together were now stopping, watching wide-eyed as a man fell down in the center of the battle.

He easily recognized the Corinthian helmets that one army was wearing. These had to be some sort of Greeks, the people of the Peloponnese Peninsula. They were fighting against another army, an unfamiliar set of armor worn by them. Everyone was wearing leather armor, a fatal mistake of most armies.

Dead bodies lay strewn across the battlefield, seemingly countless numbers lost during the war. Percy had no idea why Apollo was showing this to him. What was the point of showing him a battlefield with a bunch of men surrounding one body?

Percy looked at the giant city that was seemingly the target of the Greeks. He had never seen it before, probably because it looked like a foreign city. Giant walls stood around the city, only one gate to enter or exit the city. It was much unlike most Greek cities that usually just had a couple of barricades with guards stationed around here and there. This city had the ultimate defense: walls that could not be toppled by mere javelins and crossbows.

Then he realized who was lying dead in his own pool of blood. The helmet had been removed by a young man, tears dripping down his face. Horror-struck, Percy looked at the dead man. The black hair was all-too-familiar. The slightly tanned skin, the green eyes. The man lying dead was him.

He thought he heard old, leathery voices cackling in the distance. They sounded like demons of the Underworld, but then he was torn from the seen by invisible hands and thrust into a new scene.

Still stunned, Percy didn't move.

What appeared before him could have nearly paralyzed him. It was his mother's old house and their farm.

He could have been stunned to the point of unmoving... or he could have been bawling his eyes out. Nostalgia hit him as hard as it could, like all of the gods had struck him at the same time. He could suddenly move again, and trampling through the grass in his ghostly figure, he entered the house, his transparent body passing right through the solid door.

He did cry when he saw the sight inside. His mother was there in the kitchen, alive and healthy, talking to a baby Percy who was cradled in her arms.

"Hush, little one," she said to the crying baby. "Momma loves you, Perseus."

Percy stepped forward and reached out with a ghostly hand. He tried touching his mother's shoulder, but his hand passed right through. His heart sank a little, but nothing could feel better than the soothing voice of his mother.

"You are my brave little boy, Perseus," she said. "You may ask one day why I gave you such a strange name. But I have a strange name too, Perseus. It is unheard of. My name is Sally. You are not alone, Perseus."

With a start, Percy realized he never knew his mother's first name considering he'd always referred to her as "mom" or "momma."

"You will learn in time of your father," she whispered. "It will be dangerous for you. But you must learn to keep your head up when you feel your lowest. When all seems lost, remember that Elpis is still in Pandora's _pithos_. As long as Elpis is there, humanity will have hope. You will have hope."

Percy stared at her. Hera had told him that Elpis remained trapped in the _pithos_ when he had mentioned that he hoped, that he longed for a nice wife and family. What had the goddess actually meant by that? For his mother had just spoken...

"Elpis stays with all of humanity, no matter what humans think of hopelessness and destruction," his mother said. "To fight for glory and power is nothing, Perseus. Have a reason, a purpose. Have hope and look to the bright side of things. It will always follow you, my baby boy."

Baby Percy smiled at Sally before seemingly yawning and going to sleep.

"They say descendants of the gods have no powers, no abilities," Percy's mother said. "I hope I live to tell you the tale of not only who your father was, but where my ancestors come from. The blood of Athens, my boy."

"Blood of Athens?" Percy asked. He immediately realized he was being silly. His mother wouldn't be able to hear him. It was only a dream.

"Close your eyes," she murmured. "Close your eyes."

She began humming a lullaby so enchanting that his dream self even closed his eyes. It felt like a few seconds after falling asleep when he was woken by a startling shout.

His eyes snapped open and he saw the exactly same kitchen, though in the nighttime. His little self was five years of age. Terror struck him when he realized what this moment was. He'd dreamed of it before, but not in this way. He'd always been watching it from his own point of view.

"Go, Percy!" his mother shouted. "Go!"

The hellhound hadn't gotten to the kitchen yet, but it was easily distinguishable where it was coming from. My five-year-old self reluctantly left, scurrying out the back hall.

As the hellhound crashed through the doorway of the kitchen, she closed her eyes and muttered a prayer: "Please, Poseidon. Help the boy. Keep him safe. Don't let him die, please!"

And Percy watched, new tears beginning to form in his eyes, as the hellhound jumped at his mother. Her screams were deafening, but he stood there watching as the hellhound had course one of a two-course meal.

The hellhound roared and continued on to find the younger him.

Percy's transparent dream-self knelt down at his dead mother's side. Her warm brown eyes were empty now, looking dull and lifeless. He'd never seen his mother's dead body, just knew she was dead. He had run away from the house, trying to get away from the horror of that night.

It was a brutal sight, a nasty gash right across her chest. He could have sworn that he saw four ribs and a part of her lung. Percy tried closing her eyes, but as a transparent dream-figure, he couldn't. There were so many things he wish he could have done. Why had he run away?

He knew it was just his grief speaking and that his mother had intentionally sacrificed herself to save him.

And just as a loud howl pierced the night sky, Percy was torn from his dreams when the _Argo_ suddenly shuddered and crashed.

* * *

Rushing to the top deck to see what had happened, he was met with an unpleasant sight.

A large wave had thrown the _Argo_ ashore in Libya. When he said _large wave_, he really meant _enormous wave_. They were hundreds of paces away from the shore, well, not _hundreds_ but maybe _one_ hundred or so.

The storm still raged, but now that they were in a desert of some sort, sand was whipping up around his eyes. It blew everywhere, along with the rain and thunderclouds.

Soon, everyone was above deck to see what had happened. They had to cover their eyes to protect themselves from the dust and sand. Percy hoped that the storm would clear soon so that they would have a clearer view of what was around them.

His wish was granted at noon.

It had seemed like they had washed up ashore early in the morning because quite a long time passed before the storm cleared up. In front of them was an enormous body of water that seemed to stretch forever on either side. He knew it was just an illusion from the endless desert sand, but clearly the body of water (bay, lake, gulf... whatever...) was huge.

When noon came, and the storm washed away, Ancaeus and Jason went on an expedition of sorts to scout around the water to see if they could get back into the water and sail back away. Percy already knew it wouldn't work.

As the two men hiked off, Percy went down to the water's edge and stepped in. Immediately, a rush of energy filled him and he realized where they were. It was a gulf, the Gulf of Libya. He remembered a map that Ancaeus had with this part of the ocean in it. He peered out to the open ocean and saw many shoals and sharp rocks that barely punctured the surface. It looked like a dangerous journey to pass, and Percy had a feeling they only got past it because of the giant wave.

For a second, Percy had a feeling that Poseidon helped Zeus punish the Argonauts... but Percy was on the ship, too. Then again, Zeus punished the Argonauts even though his own son Polydeuces was on the ship, like Percy said before.

Jason and Ancaeus came back to the group with the exact same conclusion.

"Out of this we may not come, even should the breeze blow from the land, for all around us are shoals and sharp rocks—rocks that we can see fretting the water, line upon line. Our ship would have been shattered far from the shore if the tide had not thrown her far up on the sand. But now the tide rushes back toward the sea, leaving only foam on which no ship can sail to cover the sand. And so all hope of our return is cut off," Ancaeus announced gloomily.

"What if we wait?" Theseus asked. "Wait until the tide comes back up."

Ancaeus shook his head. "I have studied much, my boy. The tide here does not come up high, for though the tide recedes, it is still at a high. I believe the gods are angry and want us to stay here. Poseidon himself, oh the horror."

The look on the Argonauts' faces were horrible. All looked barely fed, but were trying to be happy not only because of Jason's and Medea's wedding, but because of the fact that they were so close to getting home. They only had to round the south of Greece. Unfortunately, the winds blew them as soon as they passed the southern tip of Peloponnese.

He glanced around at the haggard men. They were all two years older, Percy knew that for a fact, but they didn't look two years older. They all looked as if they'd aged ten years. No one had grey hairs like he'd seen on many old men and women, but it was their faces, the skin tone and the eyes.

People's eyes seemed to show what emotions they had at the moment, showing every bit of any feeling they had unless they knew how to shut themselves out. Percy reckoned it would be hard to clear your face of emotions.

Percy squinted out at the ocean.

There was only one problem he had with what Zeus had done. Taking the storm away from them had only led to disastrous heat and dehydration. Percy soon found himself longing for some water to drink. He didn't want to drink any ocean water, so instead, he grabbed a cloak and wrapped it around his head in such a fashion that it wouldn't make him sweat too much. His face was still visible.

Percy noticed that others seemed to be following his lead, though absentmindedly. None were looking at him directly for more than two seconds.

Percy was glad that there was still an ocean breeze blowing through their camp, otherwise Percy would have felt even worse. As sailors, he figured the Argonauts would find the sea breeze quite relaxing and calming.

That night was especially rough.

In the Libyan desert, days were hot and nights were cold. The difference in temperature was so great, Percy felt like his body was going to explode from not being able to recognize the vast temperature changes.

At night, he couldn't sleep well, his entire body shuddering as icy cold wind blew through his thin clothing. He couldn't help but notice that the others were have the same problem. All of them were shivering, shaking uncontrollably. It was nothing compared to the pain of the curse the Fates had begun to put on him, but that lasted for what seemed like less than a minute. The icy, cold air lasted for at least six hours.

Percy felt as if he'd only slept for two minutes in the time from way past sunset to dawn.

Instead of bothering anybody else, his bitterness still creeping up on him, he stood up as soon as he felt his legs again and jumped into the Gulf of Libya. He propelled himself forward, dodging and weaving as rocks obscured a clean path for him to propel through. Energy refilled him, though he knew that it was only temporarily. Even for an abnormally powerful young boy, his powers had limits. Like Heracles for example. Heracles had all the brawn a man could wish for, but it seemed as though he lacked brains.

It was clear and evident from the dream Apollo allowed him to watch that Zoë would be betrayed by Heracles in the end. It didn't matter if Apollo was trying to deceive him. Hera seemed to predict they would be heading to Libya, and according to multiple maps that Ancaeus had stored, the Atlas mountains were on the same strip of land as Libya. He believed that fact to be true.

Sure, the girl was a daughter of a Titan, but she didn't have to be left like that. Enlisting the help of a woman, then pretending he never loved her, and then throwing her aside like a ruddy ragdoll seemed like a pretty cruel thing to do.

Percy surface and walked up onto the dry, parched land.

He subconsciously drifted his eyes over to Jason. Jason was leaning against the side of the _Argo_, Medea huddled next to him. He seemed to be muttering something to her, but Percy couldn't tell exactly what he was saying.

Percy hoped that the son of Aeson would prove better than the son of Zeus. He knew Jason so well, and Jason wasn't that kind of Percy. To everyone that had joined the Argonauts he had been welcoming and it was certain that they looked up to him as a leader. The only problem was that Percy found himself getting in the spotlight a little too often: killing the drakon in Colchis, giving that inspirational speech at the coast of Ausonia, driving the Stymphalian birds away, and leading the defense in Scheria (the land of the Phaeacians) against the Colchians until King Alcinous arrived to vow that he would protect them.

All of those events made the Argonauts look at him as if saying, _Why is the little boy doing so much?_

He wasn't exactly sure what they were thinking, but he figured it had to do with something that portrayed him as abnormal and bad. Especially now that he'd been acting sour...

That's when thing turned for the good. It seemed so long, yet so short that they'd nearly shipwrecked but trapped in this terrible desert of nothingness.

The desert nymphs had arrived.

One might ask how desert nymphs would help, in fact, Percy hadn't thought they had been anything special when they arrived at first. He, along with most of the Argonauts, just stared at them as they walked past most of the crew towards where Jason and Medea sat.

He thought he saw the nymphs turning their heads and regarding all of them as if to say, _Come. What we have to say you should hear._

Then the lead desert nymph nodded to Jason and began speaking. Although he knew they were speaking, their voices were drowned out by wind. Even if it was a light breeze.

Percy stood up, his entire body aching, and trudged over to Jason. As he got nearer, he heard the last of what the nymphs had to say ("—way of escape to you, the Argonauts.") before they were whisked away in the wind as floating ghosts made of sand.

Percy stopped dead in his tracks and made eye contact with Jason. It was the first eye contact he had in a while with any of the crew without feeling angry or depressed. Jason's eyes glimmered with hopefulness from what seemingly was something the nymphs had told him. When they met with Percy's, they flickered with doubtfulness and anger, but Percy expected that.

"What did they say," Percy said, his voice sounding awfully dry. Sometimes it sucked not being able to get wet.

Jason jerked his chin out to the rest of the crew, who were lying down in the sand looking nearly dead. All of that encouragement and that speech Percy did weeks ago was for nothing. Now, the Argonauts looked almost as desolate as the land they were on.

Jason strided past him and shouted, "Argonauts!"

His voice was loud and clear, the word booming across the area that the Argonauts had strewn across. His voice even ousted the wind. All heads turned to him.

"Fellow Argonauts!" Jason called. "While I lay there, leaning against a plank of wood, dreaming of what would become of us had we not been cursed to arrive here, an uncanny event has occurred. You may have seen the desert nymphs that passed through to speak to me. They speak of a horse of Poseidon that will guide us to safety, a way of escape for us. They declared themselves to be the solitary nymphs, the warders, of Libya. I believe we have a chance to escape."

Everyone craned their necks to looking amongst each other. Percy saw the looks of doubt passing through every single one of their gazes. But then something miraculous happened.

An amazing-looking horse suddenly leaped out of the sea. The horse was giant, even enormous in size, and had a golden mane. When it landed on the sand, it shook the spray of the sea off its sides and mane. Then he trampled past them and away toward the horizon, leaving huge tracks in the sand.

Theseus suddenly stood up, though his voice was nearly unrecognizable. "It's true. Look! The great horse that the nymphs were talking about. We must follow it!"

A bunch of murmuring assent came from the crew, who had now seen proof that Jason wasn't lying.

That was when Periclymenus stood up. "But how are we to move the _Argo_. This horse treads on land, not on water."

Percy hadn't spoken to anyone for the past week or so, however long it had been since they left Scheria; however, now he felt obliged to say something. An idea had popped in his head. "We carry the _Argo_," he said suddenly, shocking most of the Argonauts. "We carry her as she carried us. Across the desert to follow the horse's tracks. We have to do that to find the sea again."

After a long period of silence, Jason spoke up. "I agree with Percy. That is the only way."

Everyone looked up at the massive bireme.

"We're supposed to carry that?" Zetes asked.

"To find water, though, Zetes," Calaïs said. "We must carry the _Argo_!"

"Carrying the _Argo_ sounds dangerous," Theseus said, "but it's our only hope. If we travel as a group, we will be able to find the sea once again without having to make multiple trips. Without the _Argo_, how are we supposed to get home? What would you rather want, arrive home whilst taking risks or stay here to die slowly and agonizingly?"

Everyone looked at one another. After another long period of silence, the crew began moving towards the _Argo_. Jason pulled Medea out of the way as the crew of the Argonauts began trying to lift the boat up. On the fourth try, they managed it.

"Percy—Atalanta!" Jason shouted. "Take point! Hold your bows and arrows! Medea, stay behind them and in front of the _Argo_. The rest, hold the boat!"

Then he ducked under the _Argo_ and helped lift it. "Go!"

Percy glanced at Atalanta, who gave a slight smirk, before tossing him a bow and a quiver full of arrows.

"You had that all by your side?" he asked.

She nodded.

Then he grimaced. "You're actually talking to me?"

Atalanta rolled her eyes. "Like I said, I might as well be your big sister. I know you needed to blow off some steam. It's why Theseus and I stopped talking to you. I was the one that convinced him you needed some time and space. Don't expect me to disregard what I said before. Come on, let's go."

Before Percy could even reply, she darted forward. Percy looked behind, where Theseus was giving him a hesitant and painful grin. Then he turned back to Atalanta and began running.

They may not have been great friends, but Percy should have realized that it didn't matter. As long as he had people who cared for him in one way or another. _Elpis_...

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above and if any historical facts are actually wrong. I have spent my time looking through different websites, and even a couple of books, but the story that will continue may have incorrect historical info. Still, I believe it just adds to the effect.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	17. A Fine Maiden

**Hey everyone,**

**I'd like to announce that although some myths contradict with others, I may need to change the order in which historical myths took place to be able to fit the characters I want into the story.**

**Although the setting is ancient Greece, I will make the characters talk in English and informally, as if they were regular boys/men or girls/women in the modern world. It makes writing this a little bit easier, and the characters more relaxed than if they talked formally all the time.**

**Ugh, sorry for not updating in a while, but I have been busy and well... yeah. Anyways, sorry for updating so late after, even though this is probably the normal updating rate of some authors on the site. Either way, enjoy the chapter.**

**_Just a note about copying and pasting author's notes...in the past, I have had readers who did not read the author's notes until later chapters. I just want to keep reminding. If you have already seen the author's notes, you can just skip them and go straight to reading the story. Thank you._**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 16**

**A Fine Maiden**

The Argonauts would have starved had it not been for the green, "foresty" areas that they had found on their path to the ocean. Percy hoped, since the land was getting greener, that they would find the ocean soon.

He remembered what the map looked like, and it seemed as though the land was going on longer than what the map had said. It felt like they had been travelling right around the world. The only benefit was that these fresh, green lands were full of animals. The Argonauts no longer starved, though the summer seemed to be dying away from the trees. There didn't seem to be any let up from the desert, though; it was still dry and hot (or cold at night).

Percy wondered if the giant horse was actually going to lead them somewhere useful, to a place with a nice cool, temperate climate. The arid and barren was so... different. There was no other way to describe it. It must have been hard for those carrying the _Argo_, the huge ship on their shoulders. At least Percy was able to roam free.

Storms had stopped, though. They were lucky and the horse prints that streaked across the sands of Libya stayed there, no matter how far behind they seemed to be. Percy sometimes caught a glimpse of the horse, running back toward them as if wanting them to hurry up, but then it turned right around and kept galloping onward.

There was another thing...

Percy thought it was probably a malfunctioning power, but the smell of the ocean seemed to grow distant; the further they followed the horse, the weaker the smell of the ocean was. He could only hope that it wasn't true.

As a counter to all of the dangers and hardships, they found villages as they ventured deeper into the unknown world of Libya. Villages in complete random places like at the edge of the desert for example.

Percy was just glad that they gave them some food and supplies. They said that the rivers and waters were far away but not _too_ far away when asked about the ocean. It was apparently a labour for them to go such distances every day, but their ancestral tribes had made living in drier areas decently easy.

It was two weeks past crashing into the coast when they came across the first monsters.

"Stupid snakes," Atalanta muttered. At that moment, they were scouting just a little further forward, close enough to be able to see the _Argo_ behind them, but far enough so that they couldn't hear what the Argonauts were talking (more like complaining) about.

"At least they aren't that hard to kill," Percy replied. He nocked an arrow and shot a camouflaged snake. He heard a faint hiss before is dissipated into the stale, dull air.

"Nice shot," Atalanta complimented.

"Thanks."

Percy nocked another arrow and approached the animal. Just to make sure it was dead, he shot another arrow at its head. He crouched beside the creature before pulling the arrows out of it and patting its scaly body. "I hate putting such cool creatures 'to sleep.' Why must they feel the need to attack our crew when they get near?"

"I don't know the answers to many questions you have, Percy," Atalanta said. She walked up beside him and patted his shoulder. "Come on. We'd better report back to Jason saying we've cleared the path. No more desert creatures will come hunting after us."

"Right."

The two slowly walked back toward the approaching Argonauts. It wasn't long before they met in the middle. Percy and Atalanta felt no need to waste their energy running when they would inevitably meet up somewhere in the middle anyways.

Jason stepped out from under the bow and brushed his pants. "Cleared the path?"

Atalanta nodded. "Yeah. It shouldn't be filled with anything but sand, maybe some cacti, and barren, dry air."

"Great," he nodded. "Stay near us just in case something attacks out of the blue, all right? Anything can happen." He looked around before whispering. "Even though the nymphs helped us and the horse looks godly, this could be a trap set by Zeus to blackmail Poseidon into leading us to our deaths. Either way, one at the front, one at the back."

Atalanta looked at Percy. "I'll take the back. I have more experience hunting than you do, so I should be able to track and see whether something is following us. Just scout ahead to make sure nothing is hiding, ready to pounce."

Percy nodded. He gave a small grin to Jason before lightly jogging ahead through the desert. It seemed like forever, but Percy knew that barely half a day had passed when they crossed another grassy, "foresty" area.

Percy heaved a big sigh before delving into the thin forest. There were dangers around this place, he felt it. He just didn't know what they were.

After killing a couple of desert snakes that had slithered into the forest, he emerged on the other side, no serious dangers to the Argonauts evident. He looked back to the Argonauts, who were carrying the _Argo_, looking like slaves: wearing torn clothing and slimmed from the lesser amounts of food they'd had over the past two years and a half or so.

He glanced to the back where Atalanta was supposed to be trailing behind, but he didn't see her. He frowned and thought, _She must have just gone on to recheck the forest, just in case I missed something_.

When the _Argo_ passed, he said, "Periclymenus! Take point! I'll be waiting for Atalanta here."

A man appeared out of the bunched group of Argonauts and nodded his assent. Periclymenus closed his eyes and ran forward. Slowly, he turned into an eagle and began soaring overhead, screeching happily.

Percy got worried when the Argonauts got further and further away. His heart was beating quickly in his chest, anxiety and worry engulfing him. He peered into the forest before something about his size crashed into him, sending him stumbling. It was Atalanta.

"Atalanta!" Percy cried. "Where were you?"

"Run," she said in a hoarse voice. "Come on!"

Instinctively, he ran. Trailing Atalanta, he realized that some of her clothes were torn, her lower abdomen now visible. Looking at her now, Percy suddenly became aware of how fit she was. He didn't have any more time to admire her abdomen as a loud howl came from back in the forest.

"What was in there?" Percy shouted. The sand was slowing him down.

"Cynoscephalae," she called over her shoulder.

"What are those?" he yelled.

She didn't answer, instead, keeping her arms pumping and legs stretching. They ran as fast as they could to the Argonauts, who were unknowing of what was happening behind them. By the time they reached the back of the crew, they were sweating buckets, almost twice as many as the men carrying the ship.

A snake suddenly hissed from the ground in front of them, and Atalanta pulled out her bow.

"Wait!" Percy said, pushing Atalanta's bow away as the snake began changing form. Periclymenus stood where the snake was.

"I could have killed you!" Atalanta shouted angrily. "Don't do that!"

"It was just a joke," he said rolling his eyes. "What's got your bow in a knot?"

"Cynoscephalae," she said simply.

Periclymenus blanched. In a voice full of fear, and with wide eyes, he said, "They're not supposed to be here. This is a desert. Are you messing with me?"

"Wait, what's a _Cynoscephalae_?" Percy asked.

"Cynoscephalae is a jackal-headed or dog-headed person," Atalanta explained quickly. "They may sound less harmful being part-human, but their dog-side, the beast-side of them is very cruel. The legends say they feast on _anything_ that is made of meat. But they're supposed to live in the—"

Then a sound that could not have been written down with letters was made. It was a guttural sound, something that came out of a creature's throat.

"Duck!"

A hand pushed Percy to the side, and he collapsed to the sand. It got into his mouth, but he didn't complain. He was far more afraid of the beasts that were coming to eat him. He immediately pulled out his bow as he got up and pointed it at the nearest dog-headed man.

He growled at Percy, making the thirteen-year-old back up a step. Percy glanced at Atalanta and Periclymenus who were both contending with their own Cynoscephalae.

Suddenly, a large shadow leaped at Percy, making Percy resort to the weapon he preferred: Anaklusmos.

As he grabbed the hair clip, it immediately glimmered and elongated in his hands. He swiped upwards dissolving one of the Cynoscephalae into sand. It had been a different beast who'd attacked him, not the one he was facing.

Percy quickly slung his bow on his shoulder and stabbed the Cynoscephalae right in front of him. It, too, dissolved without a single noise.

Then, before he knew what was happening, something slammed into him from behind and he was sent sprawling forward. Knowing what hit him wasn't friendly, he elbowed it and spun around in the sand. He brought his knee up to his chest and pushed forward, trying to send the Cynoscephalae flopping backwards. It didn't work, though, the creature too strong to push over. Percy could see muscles rippling on the creature's human arms, more muscles than anyone he'd ever seen aside from Heracles.

Percy grabbed the Cynoscephalae's throat and pushed backwards to keep the dog from eating his face off. He did that with his left hand. With his right hand, he groped around for his sword. He had lost the handle on it when the Cynoscephalae had crashed into him from behind. He turned his head to look for Anaklusmos, but he couldn't find it.

The Cynoscephalae on top of him growled and snapped its teeth. They were so close to his face, he felt as though it were actually biting him. He brought his right hand up to push the beast away even further. When it seemed as though his right arm was used to the strain, he craned his neck to the opposite side to see where Anaklusmos had landed.

He saw it.

It was so far away though. He would never be able to reach it.

That was when the Cynoscephalae stopped being stupid. It grabbed Percy's arms, both of them, and pinned them to the ground. That gave no protection to the thirteen-year-old boy at all to protect his face from being torn out.

This is the end, Percy thought. But wait... this Cynoscephalae is a man...

As hard as he could, Percy brought his knee up to the Cynoscephalae's tenders. It let loose a howl of pain. Percy took advantage of this and grabbed an arrow out of his quiver (which somehow magically kept all of the arrows inside it even after he fell) and slit the beast's throat.

"Oh, good, you're okay," Atalanta sighed. She looked a little bloody at her exposed abdomen, but it didn't seem like a bad wound. "I just managed to kill one. I thought I might have been too late to save you."

Percy nodded, still feeling the shock of being mere centimeters from death.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked, rushing over to help tend to them. The _Argo_ had been set down, the Argonauts standing around the ship holding their weapons out ready to attack any creatures that appeared. "We heard the howl, but it wasn't until you guys suddenly got ambushed that we stopped."

"Where's Periclymenus?" Percy asked.

Jason pointed over to where he was being tended to. "Medea's helping him with some of her sorcery powers. He had a nasty gash across his arm. Apparently, it damaged a nerve on his elbow."

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Yeah. Medea and Orpheus, who studied with Apollo, both said it was a minor injury."

"Cynoscephalae," Atalanta murmured. "What are they doing here? They aren't usually supposed to be here in the desert."

"I don't get it either," Jason said pursing his lips. "It doesn't exactly make sense."

"What doesn't make sense?" Percy asked.

"What I was about to say just before the Cynoscephalae attacked us was that they live in the mountains," Atalanta said.

A strange feeling bubbled up in Percy's stomach. "A what?"

"Mountains." She frowned. "Why? What's wrong, Percy?"

He stumbled over to the _Argo_. The feeling seemed to be getting stronger and stronger as he trudged further into the sands. In the back of his mind, he heard vague and distant voices. They seemed to be pointed at him, but numbly he continued without turning around. Fifty or so steps later, he began seeing a dark shape appear over the hill that he had to climb. Another ten steps and he froze.

He had reached the top of the little sand hill and he could clearly see, though in the distance, a range of mountains spread out across what seemed to be a small cluster. Most of the mountains were small, but the largest one there was the scariest mountain he'd ever seen. A dark, swirling vortex spun overtop of it, making Percy feel on-edge and unnerved.

"Percy!" someone called loudly and clearly. "Percy!"

A nervous shiver tingled up his spine, seemingly paralyzing him and rooting him to the spot. Those mountains, especially the tallest one, were quite familiar to him. His dreams had told him all about this place.

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and lightning crackled over Atlas.

Before he knew what was happening, his body became possessed and he realized he was running.

"Percy!" he heard Atalanta scream. "Where are you going?!"

"To the mountains!" was his reply.

"Are you crazy? Those mountains are days away! Don't leave like that!"

But the words seemed to drown out. He felt as though he needed to get to that mountain, to save Zoë from a horrible fate. If he was lucky, he could even prevent Heracles from doing what he did in the dream. Maybe the real Heracles would love Zoë and make her his actual wife.

It felt like a few hours, resting for what seemed like seconds. When he regained his wits and senses he was suddenly running, the moon high in the sky. It was nighttime.

He heard a shout from behind him as he made it to the mountain, but he didn't turn around. He bolted straight up the side of it, clinging onto thin, rocky ledges as he climbed up the side. He saw the winding path that twirled around like a serpent up the side of the mountain, but he wanted to get to the top as fast as he could, so he skipped running along the path and tried cutting through instead. He didn't arrive any faster than he would have running and now he had cuts and scrapes all over him from clambering about the sharp, jagged rocks.

When he reached the top of the mountain, he crept through the forest. Then something like the opposite of nostalgia hit him, though not like a feeling of dread. It was just neutral, a place he remembered from the dream. It was happening exactly as he had dreamed. It was as if he was aware that things were happening the exact same, yet it was partially subconscious as he didn't really stop to see exactly how precise that dream had been.

As he walked closer to the spot he had been at in the previous dream, a loud voice began screaming. "Traitor! You lied to my face, to your sisters' faces! I shall cast away your immortality forever! You shall grow old and die remembering that no one cared about you. He left didn't he, pretended that he would take you. Well, Zoë, you get what you deserve!"

"Father! Please, no!" an anguished voice cried out. She sounded so broken, Percy had the odd feeling of running up to her and comforting her.

Percy climbed up onto a tree and watched as the thirteen-year-old-looking girl begged on her knees at the Titan's foot.

"I didn't honestly help him!" she begged. "I just... I—"

"Don't even try to cover up for what you have done," the Titan sneered. His anger seemed to remove all signs of pain from holding up the sky. Those dark, volcanic eyes looked like they were about to explode into blazes of lava and fire. He gave his daughter a cold look. "Hesperides!"

Soft, enchanting voices began singing, approaching as they moved closer. Percy had a feeling that they could only be summoned by their father, the only other time they emerged being that to watch Helios set.

Out of the darkness appeared four lovely ladies who looked exactly like Zoë, except all of different ages. Zoë appeared to be the youngest, even if the legend said they were born at the same time. They looked at Zoë in distaste as they passed her, regarding their father with respect.

"Father," they chorused, bowing at the Titan under the sky.

"Finish the rituals," he said glowering. "Disown Zoë and make sure she gets the message that she is not welcome back here. She will never return. It will be the end for her."

Cruel smiles slowly appeared on the Hesperides' faces as Percy realized what had happened. _He_, the one who Zoë supposedly helped, was Heracles. Heracles had said he would marry her, he had promised he would come back for her. Apparently coming back could be twisted around to mean, _I'll come back for you so that you can see me one last time before I disappear from your life forever_.

Anger screamed in his ears and he prayed to his father that Heracles' journeys would get tougher and tougher, especially on water.

The four other Hesperides raised their hands and began chanting in an ancient language, in something Percy couldn't understand. Frightened, he realized they were speaking in the ancient tongue of magic. Zoë looked up at her sisters in horror, tears welling in her eyes. Percy was admittedly shocked seeing as she was the daughter of Atlas, who was the Titan of strength.

A bright glow that had surrounded Zoë previously began fading as the Hesperides chanted, getting louder and louder. After watching for what seemed to be minutes, the glow that represented Zoë's immortality faded and she looked weary, scared and heartbroken.

A growl escaped out of Atlas' mouth before Zoë, weeping, turned around and ran away, into the forest Percy was still in. Breaking out of "spectator mode," he gave chase to her.

"Zoë! Stop!" Percy urged, trying to keep his voice down.

Startled, she whirled her head around and stumbled when she saw him running after her. She kept wide eyes pointed at him, her running breaking into a back pedal. Percy stopped running and approached her as gently as he could.

"I'm not here to harm you," he felt himself saying, feeling tired from coming to the mountain after nearly a day and a half of venturing. His chest was heaving from running, his throat dry from thirst. "I heard what happened with Herac—"

"Don't speak of his name!" she growled, her eyes blazing with anger and betrayal. "Who are you and what do you want with me?"

"I'm Perseus but I prefer to be called Percy because I'll never live up to the first Perseus," he explained soothingly. "Now, I saw what just happened."

"Spying I assume," she snapped. "Maybe watching for when I'm alone so _he_ can surprise me and rape me." She looked like she was trying to be confident but her shaky voice ruined it.

Percy stared at her as her whole body shook.

A soft whisper escaped her lips: "Again."

His eyes widened. In a surprisingly low and cold voice, he asked, "He raped you before?"

She nodded and leaned backwards against the tree behind her. Tears fell down her face as she slowly sank down into the ground. "He... he threatened me. He said he wanted me to elope with him, but I refused until we ran away. He was very charming, so I was willing, but I didn't want to then. He threatened he would reveal to my father that I betrayed him. I still refused and he... it was two days ago. Then earlier today, just a little earlier, he tricked my father and told him of my treachery."

Percy stared at the girl for what seemed like ages. He could barely imagine being disowned by his own family, not to mention having someone he loved betray him in the end.

"I have nowhere to go." Her voice was hoarse now. "I have to flee, for if I don't, the Titan's friends will come hunting me down. At least, my father will." She looked up at him. "What is your purpose here? Come to steal some apples? They're all gone."

He was going to tell her about his dreams of this place and everything about what was happening around here, but he felt that would sound really creepy.

"I travel with a crew called the Argonauts, Zoë," Percy said.

"Argonauts?" Zoë's lip curled in distaste. "Heracles said he used to be a part of that group. He said he hated them, but since they are associated with him, I want no part of that group of stupid sailors. He even gave away the sword _I_ gave him to some boy!"

Percy looked down guiltily and touched the hair clip that he now decided to hide in his messy hair.

Zoë frowned and asked, "What is that in your hair that you are touching?"

She stood up, wiping her tears away and touched his head. When she realized what it was, her eyes seemed to light on fire. "_You_. You're the boy that he gave the sword to. Get away from me!"

"Listen, Zoë. I can help you, prevent bad things to happen to you."

She glared at him and backed away. "No, no. You will stay away from me, _boy_! If you dare try to stop me, I will gouge your eyes out."

"The Argonauts will be a new home for you until we get back to Greece," Percy explained. "You can start anew there. It's basically like a secured passage for you to get to another place where you can be someone else."

She shook her head, her eyes red from anger. "Stay away from me," she whispered. She kept backing away from him, making sure she kept her distance. When she was at least ten paces away, she turned around.

That was when Percy darted forward and grabbed her wrist.

"Let go of me!" she hissed.

"I had a dream about you," he admitted, staring directly at her. It sounded almost alien to say as he sounded like some sort of stalker, but a feeling he had told him to admit this. "Apollo sent me a dream showing this and I had another dream of when you lied to your father about _him_ trying to rape you. But I don't think Apollo was truly that one who wanted me to see this. I think it was Artemis."

That seemed to get her attention. "The Olympians?"

He nodded. "They sent me the dream. I think that they want me to help you, to save you from something horrible. Please, come with me."

"Percy!" Atalanta and Jason burst into sight. They stopped short when they saw Zoë. "And who is this?" Jason asked.

Zoë cast a glance at Percy. Somehow he knew that she was asking whether these were some of his friends. He gave her a smile before turning back to Atalanta and Jason. "This is Zoë. You remember Heracles? He raped her and then threw her aside like a toy after winning her heart and promising to marry her."

Atalanta scrunched up her face in anger. "I always knew there was something to that cocky son of Zeus. But we have to go, Percy. Periclymenus had come to us as an eagle. We found the way out of Libya. We'll be heading home. It's been a long time. This quest is finally coming to a close."

Percy turned to Zoë, whom he had let go of, and offered a hand. "Will you come with us? To find yourself another life, a new life that you can start?"

She looked at Jason and Atalanta and then at Percy. Those dark, volcanic eyes bored into him before they filled with gratitude and thanks. She grabbed his hand and said, "Let's go."

Their escape was quick.

Zoë was quick to warm up to Atalanta, Jason and Percy. However, it was mostly because of Atalanta that it was that way. Atalanta told her that most of the Argonauts are good men, though there are a few rude men. Of course, she was a little wary to most of them who came to greet her, she also warmed up to Medea quite easily.

As they arrived at the location Periclymenus had told Jason and Atalanta, they found themselves at the edge of a huge lake, one that seemed to stretch as wide as the ocean. There was an elegant looking man standing before the Argonauts, seemingly talking to them about how to get out of Libya.

When they got close enough to become a part of the Argonaut group, Percy realized who they were talking to. It was Triton, his own half-brother.

Triton seemed to recognize Percy and gave him a humourless smile. "Well, if it isn't Perseus, my half-brother."

"Half-brother?" Zoë asked.

"Hello, Lord Triton," Percy said. "By the way, I prefer to be called Percy. Either way, you say that you have a path for us to take that will lead us out into the Mediterranean?"

Triton frowned when he called him "Lord Triton." It was as if he were hoping Percy was outrageously incompetent and disrespectful. Percy could definitely have had better restraint, but Chiron had drilled into his mind how to be respectful to those superior to him (meaning the gods, not older men).

"Yes," the minor god said. "Follow the water's edge and into the river that leads out from my lake. It will lead you to the ocean and you will arrive in Greece without a problem. Zeus had finished punishing you."

"What do we owe you, Lord Triton, for revealing this path?" Jason asked.

"I have taken my gift," he said. "Just a tripod."

"Thank you, Triton," Jason said bowing. "We, the Argonauts, will never forget your aide and whenever the story comes out, you will be known as the one that frees us from the southern deserts."

Then, the Argonauts sprang into action and lifted the _Argo_ into the water, Triton's Lake.

Percy gave the _Argo_ an extra little boost and they shot away towards the north. It wasn't hard to find the river, the sun extra bright that day. It was so bright that it seemed as though Helios was winking at them.

Zoë was introduced to Theseus and Periclymenus, though the latter was nearly decapitated by her after jokingly making fun of her. Atalanta calmed her down and told the other two about what Heracles had done to her. It effectively shut them up about insulting her at all. They even tried consoling her about their former friend being such a jerk.

But the way she acted gave Percy a whole new idea. The way she disliked men more than women at a first glance seemed oddly like a fake group of people Percy had thought should be put together. _The Hunters of Artemis_.

As she punched Zetes in the face after he tried asking her to kiss, he met Atalanta's eyes. She was thinking exactly what he was thinking.

_If you can find _one_ who is willing..._

Zoë walked over to Percy and sat down next to him and scowled. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted you. This is horrible, and I've only been on this boat for less than a quarter of a day."

Percy couldn't help but laugh.

"What?" she demanded.

He only laughed harder.

"I'll kill you one day," she grumbled.

Percy smiled and put an arm around her shoulders. She yelped, but he didn't flinch. "I would be surprised if you _didn't_ gut me. But at least you'll have people that care about you. Just remember that hope lies within all of humanity and mortals."

She blinked. "People that care about me?"

"I swear to you that I will try my best to give you a family that will care about you forever," he said. "Just promise me one thing. No matter how annoying I get, how stupid I act, try not to kill me."

Zoë crossed her arms over her chest. "Prove to me you're not worth being disgraced, then I won't kill you."

"I'll prove it. Just wait."

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above and if any historical facts are actually wrong. I have spent my time looking through different websites, and even a couple of books, but the story that will continue may have incorrect historical info. Still, I believe it just adds to the effect.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	18. One Giant Nail

**Hey everyone,**

**The poll and all commenting votes (and PMs) have been tallied up and voted for. Then also adding in my personal input. Drum roll please! *Drums roll* *Lights dim* *Tense atmosphere from the readers***

**The winner is... I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU! Yes, I'm being a jerk and not telling you what the answer is going to be. Personally, don't dwell on pairings too much. I've read some comments before on when I was feeling like less people were reviewing my story and how I wanted just a tad bit more attention. They said add a pairing. Most people like pairings. Well, to be honest, they aren't necessary. But I guess I might as well add a little bit of romance in mine. Just saying, Zoe and Percy will have a few moments, but they are NOT going to end up together in the long run. Sorry for those who wished for that. Those who voted for the one where Percy dates one of the modern girls... sorry but that is just unrealistic so that idea is out of the running. Those who want Artemis and Percy to be together, sorry, that is also unrealistic. Now, I've revealed a lot, but I'm pretty sure you guys should be able to figure out where I'm going with this.**

**Anyways, I'm going to take the poll down and what will happen will have to be a mystery. Plots and twists and turns will occur, I assure you of that. Now, this story still has a few chapters to go, so don't go away just yet.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 17**

**One Giant Nail**

"This still isn't going well," Zoë sulked. "We've been on the ocean for days now. And because I betrayed my family, they're bound to attack me."

Just then, water spouted from the ocean and splashed her in the face.

"She-devils!" she shouted, her eyes ablaze.

Percy put a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, Zoë. They're just playing with you. They can hear you so that is why they sprayed you. Soothe yourself and relax."

Zoë huffed angrily and stomped on his foot hard. Then she crossed her arms and glared at him.

Percy's face contorted in pain. "You really have a strong stomp. For the gods' sake."

"It's what you deserve," she said bluntly, indifferent to his throbbing pain.

"Whatever you say, Lady Zoë." Percy bowed before receiving a rough push. "Hey! What was that for?"

"For mocking me."

"I wasn't mocking you!"

"Then why did you bow?"

"Uh... because I was trying to poke fun at you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Boys."

"Can you stop judging me like I'm the worst being on earth?" Percy exclaimed.

"What if you are?" Zoë asked.

"I am not!" he replied hotly. "Just because I contradict you makes you hate me?"

"I never said I hated you," she sighed. "You're just annoying sometimes. You cannot just be laid back all the time like you are. Relying on instinct isn't good for you?"

"Since when did you become a psychologist?"

She exhaled slowly, then spoke to him as if he were a little baby. "I talk to Atalanta. I learn things from her. I learn that skill is necessary in things."

"I _do_ have skill in some things!"

"But do you have the wits to use it properly?"

He gave her a murderous look. "Okay, before it was all fun and games, but you just crossed the line. Just because I appear dense at times, I'm not stupid. Why can't people tell that I am smart?"

"Because of the way you portray yourself," Zoë said wisely. "The way you act, what you say, everything that has to do with how you express yourself publicly. If you seem like a dense nut ball, people will think you're a dense nut ball."

"How the Hades do you even—Theseus?"

Zoë nodded. "Hanging around him... it's inevitable that you pick up some of his habits. It can be quite annoying at times."

"You don't say."

"If you would stop having that lazy look on your face all the time, and if you would quit acting as if you're clueless to everything going on around you, maybe people wouldn't think you're dumb," she said a-matter-of-factly.

"I don't have a lazy look," Percy said offended. "It's just that I'm tired from the trip. And even I do have that kind of look, how would you know I have it all the time." He scrunched his eyebrows. "We do sleep in the same room... but you don't watch me in my sleep, do you?"

"Of course not!" Her face turned a slight pink.

He raised an eyebrow, and she shoved him playfully. Percy laughed and looked at the embarrassed features of the daughter of Atlas. This wasn't the first time, but it was the first time in a few weeks that he really relished her beauty. Despite the hardened black eyes, they still held another kinder side to her. Her skin wasn't that fair; she was tanned, a shade even darker than himself. He almost felt it a pity that she would become the first Hunter of Artemis. At least they would be enough of friends to talk occasionally... hopefully.

"I'm just messing with you, Zoë," Percy said grinning. "Either way, I want to help you with something."

"What?"

"I have a feeling that you may be needing to learn how to fight, like in combat. To become something like Atalanta so that you can protect yourself in the future."

"You're going to teach me combat?"

"Kind of." Percy gave her a lopsided grin. He jogged away toward the lower decks and called, "I'll be right back. Just stay there and hang on."

He went below deck and into the weapons and armor room. He scoured the corner of the room, grabbing a spare bow and a quiver full of arrows. Then, he grabbed a bronze knife and sheathed it in a belt.

Percy turned around and ran back upstairs carrying all of the equipment. He met up with Zoë, who was waiting patiently on the top deck for him to come back. When he turned up with the bow and quiver, she looked a little surprised.

"You're going to teach me ranged combat? How?"

Percy smiled and said, "Remember what I told you after we left Libya? I'm a son of Poseidon." He reached his hand out toward the ocean and formed a sort of target in which Zoë could shoot at with the bow and arrow. "It's a start."

She looked at him incredulously. "Why bother to train me with this kind of combat? You said start a new life. I don't think Greek cities are looking for female soldiers. I thought you would have meant self-defense in close combat."

He took off the belt and tied it around Zoë's waist. "I'll also help you with this."

Zoë looked utterly shocked. "Why? You still haven't told me why."

Percy sat them down on the platform at the bow. "You want me to confide in my plans for you?"

"You have plans for me? You don't control my life."

"But I _did_ swear to you that I would try my best to give you a family that will care about you forever," he pointed out. "I have this idea... a group of people you will care about for eternity, yet will not ever feel like leaving. What happened between you and Heracles will never happen again."

She looked at him curiously.

"The Hunters of Artemis," he said. Before she could ask him a single question, he continued, "A group of teenage girls who have had their hearts broken and shattered that serve Artemis not as priestesses but hunters. As she is the goddess of the hunt, she will be the leader of the group. You and your companions, the Hunters, will travel across the world to rid it of its worst beasts. It will be dangerous, but as girls come into the group, you will gain sisters that will never go against you for all of eternity."

"All of eternity?"

Percy nodded. "The Hunters will be immortal, though they can die in combat. The Hunters cannot be a huge group, just a small little group. You will be composed of any previously mortal creatures: humans, nymphs, demigods and more. You can be a part of the group because you had your immortality taken away."

"That sounds great," Zoë smiled. Then her face fell a little. "What do you mean nothing like what Heracles did will happen?"

"Artemis is a maiden goddess, correct?" Percy asked. "The girls have to swear an oath that they will never have romantic feelings toward any man or boy for the rest of eternity. If they break that oath, they will be severely punished according to how severe the feelings are. That's the one downside for any regular girl. But the idea is to get girls who have been torn apart by men. Like you and Heracles."

Zoë looked a hesitant now. "But that means... what if I _do_ fall for another boy? Should I take that risk?".

"Think of every single thing that Heracles has done to you," he said, sparking her imagination. He saw her wince a lot. Then, he spoke the cold, hard truth. "He is arrogant, much like his father, like how I have a slightly inflated ego, like my father. But, he is not the worst you will face. Do not push your hatred past the limits, but if you want to be safe, you have to sacrifice some things."

She regarded him with unreadable eyes for a long time, a time that seemed to lengthen as it continued to pass.

Then, she grabbed the bow, slung the quiver over her shoulder, pulled an arrow out, nocked it (though with a small fumble), and pointed the bow out to sea.

She gave him a quick nod. "Whenever you're ready."

* * *

"Well, I must say you're doing a great job with Zoë," Atalanta complimented. "She turning out to be pretty skilled with a bow and arrow. Of course, she isn't up to your level yet, but she'll get there."

Percy beamed. "I think the swaying of the boat helps her improve faster. Then, when I move the target, both objects are moving that way. She will be used to having her aim adjusted more often. It may help her when learning to shoot while moving."

Atalanta nodded and watched the daughter of Atlas.

Zoë, at that moment, was pretending to fight someone with her knife. Percy hadn't really taught her much of that, but he had gotten Atalanta's help. She was far better with her knives than he was. He was more of a swordsman. Percy just hoped he was as good with a spear even though he had never tried.

"All right, take a break, Percy," Atalanta said, patting him on the back. "I'll take over for close combat, okay?"

"Yeah." Percy gave Zoë a smile and a nod before heading off for the dining room. He was fairly hungry and they'd stopped at the eastern end of Ausonia to go and catch some fish and hunt some animals. It was a successful journey and they now had food for a few days. That would be all they needed to get back home.

At the moment, they were sailing somewhere to the south of Greece, though not too close to the coast.

He grabbed some deer meat and lit a fire in the sheltered stone cooker. It was quite an ingenious machine. Normally, in the open, it would be okay to cook over a fire, just any old fire; however, in doors, especially in a _wooden_ ship, it would be dangerous to do that. Instead, there was this stone block with a hole cut into it large enough to fit a meal for three inside. Then, after putting the meat on a stick that stuck through two specially placed holes poked into the sides of the stone box, the fire could be lighted while the stick controlled where the meat went over the fire. Most of the Argonauts were okay with the smoke and didn't think that it was a problem.

It didn't take too long to cook the meat, and he quite enjoyed it. It wasn't the fact that he enjoyed killing the animal, but more of the fact that that was the only meat they could find on Ausonia... at least in that area. They didn't want to wander too far into the mysterious lands.

In the middle of his meal, Theseus appeared down in the kitchen.

"Percy, hey!" He took a seat next to him. "You feeling less alone now?"

"Listen, Theseus." Percy gulped down his food. "I'm sorry about—"

"Ah, there's nothing to be sorry about, Percy," he said. "Everyone has these rough patches throughout their life. Think about how lonely Jason must have been throughout his years training with Chiron."

"At least he went out into the world," Percy sulked. "I didn't have that chance."

"But you're here now, aren't you?" Theseus exhaled loudly. "Not many young boys get the chance to travel the world on a heroic and dangerous quest. You have had the opportunity of a lifetime. And don't tell me anything that counters that. No cowardly, scared boy would become a friendly acquaintance with men twice his age or more. I still remember when someone camp to visit Chiron, which was Jason's mother if you forgot, you hastily ran away to the tents. You wouldn't do that now."

Percy ate more of his deer.

"Cheer up, Percy," Theseus said patting him on the back. "We're almost home. Then you'll get to really enjoy the world. You're at that stage when you are turning into a young man, just a few more years to go."

"This trip, Theseus, it has been two years and three-quarters of a year. Can you believe that it is finally coming to a close?"

"To be honest, I expected it to end two years ago," he laughed. "But of course, the incident in Lemnos, and with Phineas and the Harpies, plus the gale that drove us north, and the gale that drove us south... they all add up to the extra time. It's been forever since we last saw Greece. I believe a bit of nostalgia is in order."

Percy snorted. "Do whatever you want. I already have my future planned out."

"That's more like it," Theseus grinned. "What are you going to do?"

"First off, I need to get onto Olympus somehow, so I guess I'll be hunting dangerous monsters to sacrifice to the gods," Percy explained. "I'm going to try and give Artemis the idea of creating a group of hunters that will follow her and her only, and Zoë will be the first Hunter of Artemis. Then after she is delivered and happy, I am going to find out about my past. Who did my mother descend from? Am I ancient royalty?"

"That would be interesting to find out," Theseus agreed. "Well, good luck to you on your adventures."

"And you as well," Percy smiled. "Have fun claiming your rightful spot as heir to the Athenian throne."

"Thanks."

Percy cleaned up his area and went to his room. He grabbed his scroll of papyrus and began writing into it.

"_Day 1004_

_Another day at sea. The Argonauts are taking the voyage cautiously, wondering if there are any more threats. Theseus and Jason are convinced we are finally heading home. So are Atalanta, Periclymenus, the Boreads, the Dioscuri, Zo__ë and myself. It feels nice to be able to reach home again. There isn't much to report for today, and I don't want to waste space; however, Zoë is improving on her bow and arrow skills. She seems like a natural. That's perfect for what I want her to become. I know it sounds like I'm trying to control her life, but honestly, it's hard for me too. She is a beautiful young girl, and I would love to promise to marry her, but she would be happier as a Hunter. Somehow, I know it. Either way, it is time to end this journal. Goodbye._"

He smiled at what he wrote before rolling up the scroll and putting away his _kalamos_. He tucked them away before lying down on the floor to take a quick nap.

His dream was quite different from the usual dreams he had.

He was back at his mother's farm, watching as his mother walked backwards across the field. Then his eyebrows knit in confusion. As his mother was walking backwards, freshly harvested vegetables that were in her wheelbarrow were picked up and placed back down in the ground. He watched as his mother continuously did that, her movements steadily increasing in speed.

That's when he realized time was going backwards.

His mother was moving very quickly now, and before he knew what was happening, he saw when his mother was pregnant. Time quickly backtracked and his mother turned into a younger woman. Percy saw his father meet his mother for the first time at a sandy beach.

Quickly, his mother was just a young girl now, and an older man and older woman appeared on the property. They treated Percy's mother with contempt and Percy had to resist the urge to go and punch them. Either way, it wouldn't have worked considering time was moving faster than he could move.

Then, when his mother was just a tiny little girl, a different pair of adults appeared. These had to have been his mother's parents, his grandparents.

Before he knew it, he began watching a long, flickering show of backwards movements, time gradually passing in the real world, time rushing by like a galloping horse in the dream. He saw his grandmother's childhood, then his great-grandmother's, then his great-great-grandfather's. He saw time backtrack many generations until it came to a very interesting one.

There was a lone man on the farm. He looked poor, which made Percy kind of sad. It seemed to be that Percy wasn't from royalty. He heard a strange buzzing in his ear and he realized that he could hear now.

The farm looked different, smaller than what he'd seen with his mother's. It seemed as though this was a long time ago. Well, he reckoned it was. It had been many generations since his mother was alive.

Percy walked forward and through the door, just like he could walk through rock walls in other dreams of his.

The man was grumbling in the corner of his room, shuffling with papyrus papers. "They think I'm some sort of lunatic. Making the farms bigger and put together would make farming more efficient. Crazy old bugger. I've been to Egypt. No wonder they're so much further advanced than we are. Stupid Egyptian magicians and animal-headed gods."

A knock was heard on the door.

"Bet it's the stupid king ready to send me packing," Percy's ancestor grumbled. The man went to the door and opened it. Percy couldn't see who the hooded figure was except for the curled black hair sticking out of the hood, but it seemed as though the man recognized her.

"Thee? What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in months!"

The woman kissed the bundle of robes in her arms. Percy realized that it was a baby. Then he felt something prodding at his stomach. He looked around for another ghost of some sort, but there was no one around besides the other two.

"This baby is yours," the woman said.

The man's jaw dropped. "But we never—"

"We need to talk. May I come in to the kitchen?"

Still baffled, he numbly let her in. Percy made a move to follow them, but something hit his leg really hard.

"Ow!" he cried out in pain. "What the Hades?"

Then his eyes snapped open and he saw Zoë standing above him with an agitated face on. "Finally you wake up," she grumbled. "You've been sleeping for hours now. I've been getting bored. Want to talk?"

Percy sat up and rubbed his eyes. That dream... it could have revealed who that woman was. Evidently, it had to have been a mistake, seeing as the man admitted he had never slept with her. Or maybe...

"Hours? How many hours?" he asked, breaking himself out of his own thoughts.

"It's the next day at noon," she said. "That's how long you've been passed out."

"Next day at noon," he repeated groggily.

"Yeah, come on out."

Zoë led him out onto the top deck. She brought him to the platform at the bow that he so often looked over. She pointed out in the distance and said, "Look. There's land in that direction. I think we're arriving in Greece. Finally!"

Percy smiled, though he yawned. He sniffed a little before leaning against the wooden gunwales. "Looks like Greece. It's all coming to an end. You wouldn't know the full extent of the adventure, but at least you spent a little bit of that time with us."

"It will be an even more eventful time when I become a Hunter of Artemis," Zoë said, her voice teeming with excitement. "Do you really think you could have Artemis create that group?"

"As long as it helps girls like you, I am sure she will be willing to help."

They stood there watching as the land became clearer in the morning daylight. Percy could now see the shoreline of the land that they were approaching. He had a sense that they were in the right place. This was home territory, Hellas.

"Have you ever been to Greece, Zoë?" Percy asked.

She shook her head. "I have never been. As one of the Hesperides, I have always been restrained to my spot in the Garden. I have lived there for my entire life, never leaving and always doing my duty. As the nymphs of the sunset, we would only appear at that time of day. The rest of the time, we could only be summoned by our father, Atlas. I enjoyed my duty much, played with Ladon even though he was meant to stop us from taking the golden apples. If we were caught leaving the Garden..." She shuddered. "That is too horrible to even think about."

"So you've never seen anything outside of the Garden of the Hesperides?" Percy asked astonished.

"No."

"Wow, that's sad."

"Not everyone is free to go where they please and do what they want," Zoë said.

"That sure is—wait, what is that?"

In the distance, on the land that they were approaching, a giant man (who was like twenty feet tall) stepped into view. Percy could see that the sun gleamed off of the man as if he was made of metal or something. He saw as the man put a hand over his eyes to peer out at them. Percy knit his eyebrows as he had never seen such a man before. Then again, he hadn't gone to that many places in his childhood.

"You tell me," Zoë said, fear evident in her voice. "You're the one that lives here."

As the _Argo_ drew closer, Jason, Medea, Theseus, Atalanta and Periclymenus came to see what the commotion was all about. The rowing became slower, the rowers standing up in their seats to see what had happened.

"What is that thing?" Jason asked.

"I don't know," Theseus said. "I've never seen that before."

"Wait," Periclymenus said. "Hold on. Is that giant man made out of metal?"

Medea squinted hard to look at it. "Bronze. It looks like bronze to me."

"I think this might be Crete," Periclymenus told Jason. "There was this story that I heard back in my hometown, Pylos. In Crete, recently, Europa was sent gifts from Zeus. One of them was a giant bronze man by the name of Talos."

As Periclymenus continued telling the story, something caught Percy's eye. The giant man, supposedly Talos, bent down to pick something up. Then, the man swung his arm forward, as if throwing something. Percy looked up into the sky and saw something sailing towards the ship. At first, he thought it was something small, but as it got closer, he realized it was a giant boulder.

He raised his hands and sent a giant blast of water at the rock, effectively stopping it in midair and making it drop into the ocean. When the giant man bent down to pick up another rock, Percy sent the ship hurtling to the side.

"Talos was meant to protect her!" Periclymenus shouted as the deck of the _Argo_ burst into a major panic.

Zoë began to run downstairs for a bow, but Atalanta grabbed her arm and shook her head. "Arrows will do no good against a monster made of metal. Plus, the automaton's range is far greater than ours with a bow. He could crush us instantly."

"Medea!" Periclymenus shouted. "He has a weakness, but you need to execute it!"

Jason stared at him. "What are you talking about?"

A rock sailed overhead and nearly destroyed the sail.

"A weakness?" Medea asked. "What kind of weakness, and why do you need _me_ to execute it?"

Percy focused on trying to steer the ship away from safety, but he was also intrigued about what the bronze man's weakness was. He figured it would be good to know, just because.

"He has only one vein, one that travels from his neck to his ankle, that is bound shut by a rusty nail," he said. "It was a stupid design, or a design that was meant for Talos to be destroyed, but if you can get that rusty nail loose, Talos will die. The reason you need to do it is because you're the only one here who knows how to use sorcery."

After a moment of hesitation, she agreed. "All right, I'll do it. I just need a few things. Get the boat closer to Talos. I need to be closer to be able to cast a better spell."

"We won't be able to get closer without being destroyed, though," Atalanta said worryingly. "There is no possible way for us to get closer without the rocks crushing us."

Then her eyes turned to Percy.

"Can you destroy the rocks with your water powers?" she asked.

"It's possible," he grunted.

"Do it. We need anything that will distract the monster."

"Okay, I got it."

Percy turned the ship toward the metal man and sent the ship sprinting forward, tearing through the water like on a racing chariot. Then he stepped up to the platform at the bow and watched as a large rock was sent flying at the _Argo_. Percy closed his eyes and raised both of his hands. Giant hands emerged out of the water and followed his exact movements.

Just as the rock got within range of Percy's water hands, Percy snatched the air in front of him. His water hands grabbed the boulder and dropped it into the sea. He hoped his father didn't mind rocks sinking down into his waters.

"A little closer!" Jason told the Argonauts.

More rocks were sent hurtling, this time smaller but faster ones. Percy essentially had to smack the rocks out of the air instead of snatching them. It was a hard task, keeping the giant hands moving a harder task than it sounded. He wasn't tired, but he could feel his energy dipping a little. He felt as though he could only manage doing this for another hour or so before being too tired to do anything.

Then, from behind him, he heard Medea muttering some sort of incantation. He watched as demon spirits rose out of the ground near Talos and began to attack him.

"What is that?" Theseus asked in awe.

"Keres," Jason muttered. "Female demon-spirits."

A dark, eerie aura began enveloping the _Argo_, creepy and reverberant laughs piercing the daylight sky. The sun seemed to dim just a shade.

The Argonauts stopped whatever they were doing to watch as Talos stopped attacking them and began swatting at the ghostly demons as if they were pesky insects or something like that. He stomped and trampled over trees and the grasslands, no doubt killing some animals living in that area.

"_Daimones treilani_," Medea said in a Greek-like tongue. "_Treilani. Treilani._"

Talos fell to the ground, still swatting at anything around him. The giant metal man began rolling around in the dirt, even falling into the shallow water a little bit. It didn't seem like the water affected him though. Either way, Percy watched in a wild fascination as the automaton slowly went mad.

Eventually, there was a loud, sickening, rusty pop and something gushed out of Talos like a water fountain. But it wasn't water at all. The fluid gushing out of Talos had a golden color to it making it easily recognizable. It was ichor. The ichor ran out of him like molten lead.

The keres went away and everything turned back to the way they were before just with one exception: it was silent.

Silence had rippled over the crowd like a single pebble fell into an ever-still pond. Periclymenus was the first to break the silence.

"Crete," he said. "This is Crete. We are so close to home, oh so very close."

"Greece," Jason murmured. "We will finally see our homes again, after years of voyaging, we have made it home."

"My kingdom," Ancaeus beamed hopefully. "My people, my wife."

"To our father, Boreas," the Boreads grinned happily.

"To play music for all of Greece to enjoy," Orpheus said.

Zoë grabbed Percy's hand and quietly said, "And to dangerous quests in all hopes to reach Olympus."

"Meleager," Atalanta muttered.

"To become the rightful heir to the Athenian throne," Theseus smiled.

The _Argo_ floated on the water, drifting as the current pulled them past Crete and toward the lands that most of the crew of the Argonauts called home. The sun still glimmered happily in the sky, midday turning into early afternoon. Percy looked out at the view of the distant but close lands of Greece as they were now in sight.

"We're finally going home."

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above and if any historical facts are actually wrong. I have spent my time looking through different websites, and even a couple of books, but the story that will continue may have incorrect historical info. Still, I believe it just adds to the effect.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	19. The Exile of a King

**Hey everyone,**

**I'd like to announce that although some myths contradict with others, I may need to change the order in which historical myths took place to be able to fit the characters I want into the story.**

**Although the setting is ancient Greece, I will make the characters talk in English and informally, as if they were regular boys/men or girls/women in the modern world. It makes writing this a little bit easier, and the characters more relaxed than if they talked formally all the time.**

**_Just a note about copying and pasting author's notes...in the past, I have had readers who did not read the author's notes until later chapters. I just want to keep reminding. If you have already seen the author's notes, you can just skip them and go straight to reading the story. Thank you._**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 18**

**The Exile of a King**

Percy hugged the Boreads as they disembarked from the _Argo_.

"We're going to miss to you, Percy," Zetes said, that oh-so-sad farewell feeling pitting in his stomach. "It was fun to hang around someone your age. Except for that time when you got bitter."

Percy sadly smiled back. "It was a long adventure, far too long than supposedly expected, but I'm kind of glad it did take this long. We could've talked more, though. It was my ego, don't worry about it. So, where are you two off to now?"

They grinned. Calaïs said, "We are going back to father to serve him until we die."

"Or we could get immortality and serve our father for the rest of eternity," Zetes added.

Happy for them, Percy said, "That sounds like a great idea. Immortal sons of Boreas."

"Oh, Percy!" Zetes suddenly burst, his eyes gleaming with hope. "I heard you were going to travel the world to find where your ancestors come from, so maybe you could come up north some time to find us and we can reconcile. You know, just hang around and talk about all the good things that happened during this quest. Does that sound good?"

"I'd love to come," said Percy, "but it really depends on where my quest leads me. If I find out my ancestry before I die, I promise you that I will come and visit."

"That's great," Zetes smiled. "Farewell, Perseus. We will see you in the future." And he and his brother began walking away.

"Same for you, great Boreads!" Percy called back, a feeling of dismay mixed with blithe. The great sadness in seeing friends of his (even if he only talked to them in his spare time) had bloated in his gut, but he was happy that they were finally free from the constraints of the _Argo_, to go where they truly wanted: back home to Boreas.

Castor and Polydeuces were the next to leave the ship. They had a much different farewell than the Boreads.

"Percy!" they cried and hugged him. "Great time on the _Argo_, huh?" laughed Castor. "Almost three years on a quest that should have been a couple of months. Isn't that crazy?"

He smiled at his positive attitude. "Yeah, crazy. Even though Chiron did warn me it was going to be a hectic trip, I didn't think it would be this long and this hard. Remember when we nearly starved. But at least I gained some knowledge while being on this quest. Hunting, water-power stuff, and you know."

"You're really powerful now," Polydeuces complimented. "I bet if you had a fight between yourself and Heracles, you could just mess with him by controlling water. Now _that_ I would pay to see."

"Don't like your half-brother?" Percy asked, an eyebrow raised.

He stared at him with an _are-you-kidding-me_ look. "No," he said sarcastically. "He's the best half-brother I could ever have, stealing credit from others. Look what he did to Zoë. That was just cruel. If I ever see him again..." He left the threat hanging.

"So, where are you going now?" Percy asked.

They both pointed at the palace of Iolcus. "We're going to help Jason," Castor said. "He deserves his throne back and I think it would help Jason's favor if Pelias saw that Jason actually has people to fight for him."

"After that, we will be going back to our mother," Polydeuces said. He had a careful smile on his face. "We received news back on the island of Anaphe that our mother is pregnant. She may be giving birth sometime soon, though, we wonder if the children are going to come from eggs like we did."

Percy gave them a bewildered look. "You were born from eggs?"

They snickered at the expression on his face. "Yes, we didn't tell you, I don't think," Castor smiled. "However, we were born from an egg because Zeus slept with our mother in the form of a swan the same night as _my_ father did. Only my brother got the godly blood. I got the mortal blood. I think we told you _that_ part before."

"Yes, yes you did."

"Either way, we'll see you soon, Percy," Polydeuces said.

"See you soon," Percy said waving at the Dioscuri as they walked away.

Percy sighed. He didn't talk much with the Dioscuri either, but they were kind people and he loved the way that Polydeuces beat up that horrible king from the Euxine coast. That was definitely one of the better moments he had felt during the entire quest.

"_RAWR!_" a loud beast growled from behind him.

Percy jumped and pulled out Anaklusmos. Behind him was a wolf with silvery fur, glaring at him with dark brown eyes. Percy scowled and put Anaklusmos away. The wolf gave him a wolfish grin before changing shape until he was a human again, this time with no wolfish features at all. Periclymenus was laughing so hard, he could may as well have peed in his pants.

"You—you should have ... seen ... your face," he gasped in between breaths. "Hilarious."

"For you maybe." Percy crossed his arms and glared at the older man. "Do you really have to scare me like that? I've seen enough dangers."

"Keep your guard up, Perce," he said, still trying to recover from his laughter. "You can't afford many mistakes where you're going. It's going to be a dangerous adventure to get to Olympus. Still, you should have seen your face. It was pure gold."

"Yeah, laugh all you want because now you're finally free to go wherever you want in Greece without having to follow the path of the _Argo_," Percy said, still miffed at the lame prank that Periclymenus just played on him.

"I know," he said, looking wistfully into the sky. "I'm going back to Pylos to see if I can raise my own family there. Now that this wild adventure is over, I'm hoping to settle down nicely. This has been enough of an adventure for me to endure. I'm not a hero like Perseus or Heracles or Jason."

Percy kind of felt bad for saying what he really thought, but it was the truth. "Yeah, you're not a hero. At least you got the awesome power of shape shifting. That may come in handy in the future."

"I bet it will be," Periclymenus sighed. "Thanks for the advice. Farewell, my friend. This will probably be the last time I see you."

"Same here," Percy said. They hugged, and Periclymenus trudged off away from the palace of Iolcus to the main transport road. It was sad that Percy would never see him again, but it wasn't like they were going to be best buddies for life. Men had their own paths, and only when they interconnected would they stay together. Percy longed to continue the adventure of the Argonauts, just to stay with the group of friends that he'd made over the past three years. He knew that was impossible.

Percy contemplated on setting out for the palace ahead of time to scout and see what kind of guards Pelias had, as years had passed and things surely had to have changed since the last time they saw the city. From the outside, Iolcus still looked the same way as it did when they left.

There were two sets of feet that landed on the ground behind him. Two sets of footsteps began approaching him, one on his left and one on his right. They were light footsteps, gentle in stepping on the ground.

"It looks like a nice city that Jason will be inheriting," a lighter voice said to his right. "Iolcus will look much better when Jason becomes king, or if Aeson is restored to power. Don't you think, Percy?"

"I agree with Atalanta," said the lower voice to his left. "This city could look much better if it didn't have a stupid king who is power-hungry. I bet you anything that Pelias will try to kill Jason once he sights him."

"It is nice, though I will miss hanging around with the friends I have made along this journey," he replied. "You guys let me in from the very beginning. It has been a rough journey, but I think because we all felt like one unified family, we got through all of the hardships, don't you think? I've told the others this."

"It's not like we'll be gone forever," Theseus said. "When I arrive back in Athens, I will write to you. That is, after I learn how to write. I can read, though. You can still write to me, just direct it to whoever the king of Athens is. It should be a man named Aegeus."

Percy looked sadly upon Iolcus as Helios and his sun chariot rose in the sky. "I'll just miss seeing you guys in person. Everyone has to go their separate ways in the end, I guess. That's the way of life it seems."

"Not really, but good enough," Theseus shrugged. "Not everyone can be a genius like I am."

"Stop boasting," Atalanta chastised. "For all you know, everyone around you could just be a lot dumber than you are."

"So, you're calling yourself dumb?"

"No, I didn't say that!"

"But you said everyone around me is probably a lot dumber than I am!"

"I said we _could_ be."

"So, you're implying that I'm smarter and am a genius?"

Atalanta punched his shoulder in frustration. "Ugh, you are so annoying. Why do you have to always twist my words and use them against me? What did I ever do to you?"

"Nothing. It's just fun. Ever since I took that necklace of yours—"

"Oh, that necklace theft was the worst one," Atalanta snapped. "I swear, if you hadn't given that back to me, Meleager would have killed me when I got back."

"See, I'm truly nice on the inside, otherwise I wouldn't have given you your necklace back," he said grinning. "Every man has an inner and outer self. Whether they are the same or not is dependent on the man."

Atalanta turned to Percy and said quietly. "At least when I leave to Calydon, I won't have to deal with this annoying jackass anymore. It will be nice and peaceful, just me and the woods."

"And Meleager," added Theseus. "And maybe nice cushiony grass with a pile of clothing set off to the side—"

She growled and punched his face. He clutched it in pain, but didn't cry out. He was laughing too hard. Percy snickered a little, Atalanta's red face very amusing to watch indeed. Percy would miss Theseus' upbeat humor a little, though during the voyage he adopted sort of this adult-like responsible figure. He heard this kind of Theseus a little, the kind of Theseus that had been apparent before the Argonauts back with Chiron.

"I'll miss that," Percy admitted. "But I'm glad you will finally become what you truly are, a king of Athens. And if we do go by social classes, I am your humble servant, a peasant in your lands."

"You'll never be just a peasant to me," he said shaking his head while clutching his bloody nose. "To me, you will always be that little boy who turned into a very powerful demigod and is my equal. Whether your ancestors were royal or not, you will always be treated as a free man in Athens, nothing more, nothing less."

"I wouldn't expect any more, Prince Theseus," Percy said bowing.

"No need to bow."

"Like you said, I am a free man, or as of right now free boy, and I will do as I please." Percy gave him a cheeky grin.

Theseus shook his head knowing something like that was bound to happen. "Twisting the words of others is something you're good at, huh Percy?"

"I learn from the best," he said winking.

Theseus flushed as Atalanta gave him a pointed glare. After another punch to the shoulder, Atalanta turned to Percy and beamed. "I still remember that little ten-year-old that you were back years ago. You've changed so much since then. You're so much more powerful and more mature. I can't believe that I will hardly get the chance to see you again."

"More mature?" Theseus asked disbelievingly.

"Compared to before," she added rolling her eyes. "And he's grown on me. He's like a little brother or something of that sort."

"I'll miss you too, Atalanta," Percy said.

She hugged him tightly before letting Theseus have his turn. As Percy and Theseus man-hugged it out, the latter whispered, "Take care of Zoë. You better not let anything happen to her like with the way Heracles treated her. That is just cruel, raping her and then leaving her."

Percy felt hot anger rising in his chest. "Oh, if I ever see him again... I wish there was a way to show that event to Polydeuces after it happens. He said he would pay me to see that happen. Zoë will receive justice for what happened to her."

"You're going to add that to your list of things to do?" asked Theseus.

"Yup."

"That's great."

"I'm sorry to barge into this manly conversation about getting revenge," Atalanta interrupted, "but Percy, you have to remember that sometimes getting the revenge yourself isn't worth it. He's not worth your time. Hold back and let others tear him down. It will eventually come, his arrogance, cockiness and ego will lead to his downfall. To think we used to be friends with him." She shook her head in disgust.

"We were never friends, just acquaintances," Percy said stonily, denying all evidence that they used to, in fact, be somewhat of his friend.

"Right." Atalanta and Theseus looked at each other.

"Well, I guess this is our actual farewell," Theseus said.

"I guess it is," she replied.

They stared at each other for an extended period of time making Percy feel uncomfortable standing there intruding on what should have clearly been a private moment. It was quite clear that their relationship together was closer than Percy to either one of them. They held this sibling rivalry that none could compete with. They fought so often and so long that they were like a brother and a sister bickering with one another. It was amusing to watch, not so amusing to get involved in, and hilarious to start. Percy knew it must have been hard to watch someone whom one had gotten to know so well just depart after just three years. He was sure that they would miss bickering because under all of the hatred for one another was a spark of affection, a family-like love for one another.

"Good luck on your quest to Athens," Atalanta told him.

"Good luck with Meleager, and may the gods be with you," Theseus wished, bowing. Then the unmistakable words slithered out of his mouth at a faint whisper. "I'll miss you, little sister."

Atalanta looked like she was about to cry from happiness. She threw her arms around him. "I'll miss you too, big brother."

They were too involved in their farewell hug to even mock each other about nearly being in tears. It warmed Percy's heart so much to see two really good friends of his be this sad about leaving. Unlike the Boreads, who were very much looking forward to serving their father, and the Dioscuri, who had bottled up their feelings and shut the door on the Argonauts, moving on from the friends they had made on the journey, Theseus and Atalanta let their feelings out.

They broke apart after a while and both hugged Percy one last time before going their separate ways, leaving Percy in Iolcus whilst they headed for their respective destinations.

Percy watched from a distance as his short yet long-time friends disappeared from his view. More Argonauts came down from the ship, making their way through the roads of Iolcus to wherever they desired, whether it be home or to a new adventure that would give them the exhilarating, adrenaline rush feel only danger could bring.

Then, Jason, leading Medea, hopped off of the _Argo_ next to him.

Noticing the depressed look on his friend's face, he wrapped him in a one-armed hug. "Don't worry, Percy. As long as you keep traveling, news of us all will reach your ears. Once an Argonaut, there is no way you can escape the rumors. Even when I'm gone, you'll be able to hear about my story of how I fare as king of Iolcus without having to come here."

"Sure," Percy said in a dejected tone.

Jason didn't sound sad at all. In fact, he sounded as happy as ever. "Come on, Percy—Medea. Let's go show Pelias we got his present."

That was when Percy noticed Medea was carrying the Golden Fleece. The last time he checked she was four months pregnant. She couldn't have been four months un-impregnated. That was impossible.

"Just in case this all goes wrong, Jason," Medea gasped. "A kiss?"

"No thank you," he declined. "Now hurry up! Come on!"

Jason jogged towards the city, disregarding the pregnant woman forced to carry a heavy fleece made of pure gold.

Medea gave Percy a questioning look. Percy frowned at his friend's behavior and shrugged at Medea. But he offered to take the Golden Fleece to free her from the burden. The Golden Fleece was heavy, but Percy could manage without straining his arms. At least it would only make him stronger.

Just then, Zoë appeared on the _Argo_.

"There you are Percy!" she called. "Oh, hey there Medea."

"Hello, Zoë," Percy greeted. "Care to join us in our journey to the palace of Iolcus? We're handing in our little present for the king before Jason unseats him. I think this will be a good learning experience for you, don't you think?"

Zoë beamed with excitement. "Oh, I'm coming. This may be a good time for me to practice shooting my bow and arrow in combat. I already trained with Atalanta, and I bet none of the soldiers here are as good as her."

"Well, come on then."

They made their way to the center of Iolcus, passing by the awed people staring at them. They all seemed to be staring at the Golden Fleece in Percy's arms, watching as they walked further into the city to the palace. Some children even made their way out of the houses and shops to get a closer view of the magnificent object in his arms. It wasn't silent by a long shot, but as they passed through, the crowds got quieter, murmuring amongst each other rather than talking normally.

"Why does everyone have to stare at this?" Zoë whispered. "Have they not seen gold before?"

"This is the legendary Golden Fleece," he reminded her. "In Greece, it is famous and fabled to be a very hard item to retrieve. Not many generations ago, a boy named Phrixus brought it to Colchis, where Medea is from. Colchis is considered to be a far off land in the east, therefore it is considered to be a dangerous journey... which it was."

"Oh."

Percy, Medea and Zoë continued walking the streets of Iolcus until they reached the stone steps that led up to the palace. There, Jason and the Dioscuri were waiting for them, chatting amongst themselves loudly.

Polydeuces was the first to notice Percy with the Golden Fleece.

"There they are," he said, pointing at the shiny prize of Colchis. "And the Golden Fleece. It somehow feels so much better seeing that when we're on the land here, right? On the water, I don't know, it didn't look as happy and glittery."

"Either way, we got it to the palace." Jason walked up to Percy and grabbed the Fleece. "Here, Percy. Give it to me. I'll bring it in since it's _my_ kingdom we're trying to get back. Then I can liberate Iolcus and free my father. This will be a great day in Greek history, the return of the Argonauts."

Jason turned to Medea and smiled. "Come. Let's go."

Percy turned to Zoë and gestured forward. "Go ahead, Zoë. I'll sweep up after you guys."

She nodded and started forward. Percy was about to follow her up the steps when he heard a soft giggle escape from someone's lips from behind him. He turned to see who it was.

It was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his entire life. She looked so flawless that... that... look at those eyes. Whoa!

"Uh-oh," she said still giggling. She held up an empty vial. "Looks like it's all out. Five months until the twins are born, five months until the love runs out. That's too bad."

Percy stared at her bewildered. "What?" was all he could manage.

She gave him a bittersweet smile. "You didn't think Eros shot him too, did you? That would have been disastrous. At least he only shot Medea with a temporary love arrow. Oh, what a journey. But he is doing it totally on his free-will. He can choose to love her or leave her."

"Aphrodite?"

"You're such a sweet little boy," the goddess said kissing him on the cheek. "But you are quite slow. Goodbye."

Exploding into dove feathers, the love goddess disappeared leaving nothing but one thing: a sense of doom and betrayal.

_Five months until the twins are born, five months until the love runs out_, she had said. _He can choose to love her or leave her_.

"Percy?" called Zoë from the top of the steps. "Are you coming?"

She looked just as excited as she had been throughout the entire walk from the _Argo_. There was no sense of doom in her eyes. Aphrodite couldn't have been talking about Jason, could she? Then again, Jason and Medea had both boasted that they fell in love the moment they saw each other in that night meeting just before Jason had to do this grueling task. That sounded eerily like something Eros would to.

_You didn't think Eros shot him too, did you?_

If only Medea was shot... she truly did love him; the arrow's effects should have worn off for a long time now. But Aphrodite had shown a vial, an empty vial. Had she been slipping a love potion into his food and drinks for this entire time?

"Percy?"

Percy looked up. Zoë looked worried. He nodded and began walking up. "Yeah, I'm coming. Go inside, I'll catch up."

She nodded and hesitantly went inside.

Percy turned around to face the ocean. Jason wouldn't choose to leave Medea, he wasn't that kind of person. He saw what Heracles did to Zoë. He saw what the outcome was and probably could have imagined what it would be like if the Argonauts hadn't come to her rescue. Percy was confident that Jason would make the right decision.

Percy nodded to himself, refusing to believe that Jason would break Medea's heart. Then he walked inside the palace, ready to back his friend up when Pelias refused to give the throne of Iolcus up.

* * *

"Heracles is still dead to the mortal world," Percy whispered to Zoë.

"Serves him right," growled the girl. "For everything that he did to me. He deserves eternity in the Fields of Punishment or even Tartarus."

Percy and Zoë had spent the last six months tracking down Nessus, an old centaur that had apparently let the word loose that he planned to kidnap Heracles' new wife Deianeira, learning of Heracles' whereabouts, and having "fate" bring Iole, one of Heracles' love interests, back to him.

Percy and Zoë were the ones to tell Nessus that should he fail in kidnapping Deianeira (which they were sure he would), he should offer his own blood to her for use so that he would love her forever. It was a devious trick and a lie. Then, they captured Eurytus' mares and sent them as bait to remind Heracles of Iole. He took the bait and eventually captured Iole, destroying the city of Oechalia. Percy and Zoë were in the crumbling city to tell Iole where to jump off from. The plan worked greatly, Deianeira spreading Nessus' blood on Heracles' tunic from her jealousy. It killed him the next day.

All of that was revenge for Zoë and Periclymenus, the latter murdered by the brute. Percy knew Periclymenus had children on the way, though. That was one good thing, the blood of the prince of Pylos was going to be passing on.

At the moment, they were in Argos, the old port that the _Argo_ had originally departed from. They were looking for any news about Heracles from the gods. Percy prayed to his father every day and Hades every week to check on the news about Heracles.

"He's dead as a mortal, though," Percy added. "Zeus turned his own son into a minor god. He's supposedly the Gatekeeper of Olympus, god of heroes, sports, athletes, health, agriculture, fertility, trade, oracles and divine protector of mankind."

Zoë laughed, thinking he was joking around. "Nice joke, Percy. _Gatekeeper of Olympus_."

She stopped when she saw that he wasn't laughing with her. She gave in a shocked look. "Are you kidding me? You're not joking? Why would Zeus—Ugh! I want to get onto Olympus right now to tell the stuck-up _king_ where to shove his fat, ugly—"

"Whoa!" Percy covered her mouth. "Calm down, Zoë. Just forget about him. At least we got rid of him from the mortal world, right? That's one good thing."

"We spent six months trying to kill him and this is what we get in return?" she screamed, outraged. "This isn't fair!"

"Life isn't fair, but we live with what we got, don't we?" he retorted. "You and me, a team, right?"

She opened her mouth to retort but seemingly thought better of it. "Yeah, we kind of are."

Then Argus, the old shipwright, burst into the room. "Your chariot to Corinth is ready, Percy. Zoë can go with you if you please."

"That's great, Argus," Percy said smiling at the older man. "Thanks for everything you've done for us. Here, Zoë and I can steal and not get caught. Live your life to the best, Argus." He dropped a large pouch full of golden drachmas into Argus' hands.

"You're giving this all to me?" asked a bewildered Argus, his eyes never detaching their vision from it.

"Go forth and prosper, my friend," he said. "Come on, Zoë."

"Goodbye, Argus," she said waving.

"Goodbye, young lady," he replied back, still staring at the pouch. "Have a safe journey!"

The chariot ride was quite short, Argos and Corinth not far from each other. Corinth was the place that Jason and Medea had fled to after Pelias' son Acastus drove them into exile for killing his father.

It was an ingenious trick by Medea, telling Pelias' daughters that she could make their father young again. She demonstrated with a sheep, cutting it up into pieces and putting it in a cauldron of water. She put magical herbs into the water and spoke an enchantment. Out of the cauldron leaped a young lamb. So, the daughters of Pelias cut their father up and brought the pieces to Medea. With Pelias, she didn't include the magical herbs, and Pelias stayed dead.

It was too bad that Jason had nobody to fight with for the throne as the Dioscuri had left as soon as Pelias was dead, not thinking that Acastus would drive Jason into exile.

The scene that was waiting for Percy and Zoë as they arrived in the city was shocking. The princess and king of Corinth were dead.

"The king and princess are dead?" Zoë said a tad bit freaked out. "How did that happen?"

"I don't know," Percy admitted. "But we should go to the palace to figure what happened. Maybe the royal family will know what happened. And then we can find Jason and Medea to wish them a happy life. It'll be good seeing him again."

"Under these circumstances, I'm not so sure," Zoë replied. "Let's go anyway."

And so, the two raced through the city, Percy leaving the chariot back at the outskirts of the city. He was glad he could talk with horses, and they were going to stay around for him and Zoë to return.

Like in Iolcus, people watched as they passed by, but this time it didn't make the two feel uncomfortable. They were running far too quickly to be able to really notice the amount of eyes that were staring at them. Zoë had learned how to run like a gazelle, a much different approach than Percy.

Zoë, like a gazelle, was quick and swift in her running. She moved like a blur, but it wasn't robotic. Like water, she moved like water in the shape of a gazelle. Percy, on the other hand, moved stealthily, like a weasel. Quickly but stealthily.

"Race?" Zoë asked as they turned a corner.

"Such a bad time but you're on."

And both took off at their full speed. Zoë angled Percy off, sending him diving through a street market. He had to duck and weave under people and jump through some windows. Meanwhile, Zoë burst ahead as quickly as she could, cutting through the street like a knife cutting bread.

At the end, at the bottom of the palace, though, Percy beat her by staying hidden. He wanted to make her think she was winning until he burst out of nowhere surprising her. They had races often, and he always won. Rightfully so because she had been in a garden for her entire life. It was only recently that she had gotten used to the forests of Greece.

As she came racing down the final stretch, he jumped out of the building at the end and yelled, "Boo!"

Zoë let out a yelp before coming to a halt right in front of him. "How?" she said. In between her breaths she continued, "Always ... out of nowhere ... weasel ... I hate you ..."

Percy grinned and opened his mouth to speak when he was cut off by a stunned yet happy voice.

"Percy, is that you? Zoë?"

Percy turned around to face the speaker and his face broke out into a wide, happy grin. "Jason! It's good ... to see you!"

The two came together in a tight hug.

Thunder grumbled in the sky, storm clouds moving in towards the city.

"Huh, looks like Zeus is mad at somebody," Zoë pointed out.

"You don't say," replied Percy.

Jason wiped his hands on his tunic and looked at the two sorrowfully. "Can you believe it? She's dead. Burned to death at the hands of an enchanted dress. Why did she have to die before our wedding?"

Percy knit his eyebrows and glanced at Zoë, who looked equally as confused. "_Our_ wedding?"

"Yes, Creusa, the princess of Corinth, and I were supposed to be married tomorrow," Jason replied. He rubbed his eyes as if he was crying. Percy was shocked to see that there were actual tears coming from his eyes.

Zoë gave Jason a murderous glare. "Marrying the princess of Corinth?"

He nodded oblivious to the fact she looked ready to murder him right on the spot. Percy looked up into the sky and saw something flutter down. The storm clouds were approaching, cold wind blowing through Corinth. Then a loud _moo_ came from the distance, the sound of a cow.

The gods were angry, yes that was true, but it wasn't Zeus. It was Hera. Jason had broken his promise to be Medea's forever, making him lose his favor with the goddess. And he didn't even realize it.

Just as lightning flashed in the sky, Percy grabbed the front of Jason's tunic and gave him the worst glare that he could possibly muster up.

"What are you—"

He cut Jason off by shoving him to the ground as hard as he could. Considering Jason was a fully grown man and he was just fourteen, it didn't really add much hurt to the fall, but it definitely stunned the son of Aeson.

"What did you do?!" Percy shouted at the top of his lungs. In anger, he punched Jason across the face and then kicked his chest so that he fell backwards. "She was pregnant with your twins and you abandoned her!"

Jason was coughing, gasping for breath. "What are you talking about?" he croaked, the words barely audible in the wind.

Percy was no longer aware of anything around him, just the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance, the flashes of lightning temporarily illuminating all around him. All of his assurances that he had months ago were proven wrong. Jason was like Heracles, leaving his own lover to fend off by herself.

Percy now understood why the dress was enchanted and burned her to death. It was Medea's doing. She had to have been furious at Jason's carelessness for her feelings. She would have been heartbroken and full of the feeling of revenge. Medea must have acted nice around Creusa, given her the dress, and then allowed it to burn her to death. The king must have died trying to save her.

Cruel deaths to such innocent people, but it wasn't just because of her. Nemesis, the goddess of revenge and balance, existed for such purposes. And now, Hera was angry at his betrayal.

Words echoed in his head, _I hope you understand that this is my gift to you. Athena and I hope that Medea can help you, but should you ever betray her in the future, remember that you will lose my favor. You will die alone without anyone. Everyone you once knew will leave you, even those closest to you._

Then Jason's voice: _Yes, Lady Hera. I will keep my promise._

"Medea," snarled Percy with all of the contempt he could muster.

Jason inhaled deeply. "It was Aphrodite. I realized it when the twins were born. She was forcing Medea to love me, and I accepted it... then. That's when I met Creusa."

He kicked Jason again, this time in the tender spot of his body. Jason let out a high-pitched squeal. Percy bent down to Jason and stared deep into the eyes of his so-called friend. "You betrayed Medea. She deserved to kill Creusa. You promised! I believed that you would make the right decision! BUT IN THE END YOU CHOSE WRONG! YOU MAY HAVE THOUGHT YOU LOST JUST A WIFE TODAY, BUT YOU HAVE ALSO LOST EVERYTHING! YOU LOST HERA'S FAVOR AND YOU WILL DIE ALONE! No one will ever care for you again. Everyone you once knew will leave you, even those closest to you. You will never find Chiron again."

Percy had his outburst in the middle of the rant, but he was too angry for the yelling to make him feel better. Instead, he settled for a calm, edgy voice.

"You knew what Heracles did to Zoë," he continued. "I would kill you today, to pay for what you have actually caused, but you should live on. Ponder on this for the rest of your life and see whether leaving Medea was truly the right choice."

"Aphrodite didn't make—"

"I don't know for sure," Percy said, cutting him off, "but I think Aphrodite can only start love, not completely control it. In the end, once the start-up is finished, it is up to the man or woman to decide whether he or she will continue to love or give up. Medea truly loved you, but you never loved her back."

He stood up and turned to Zoë. He couldn't be sure but he thought he heard her say, "Stop crying. You did the right thing."

She brought her fingers to his face and wiped it.

"Thanks, Zoë," he said shakily, his body still racking with angry sobs.

Zoë kissed his cheek. "It was no problem at all." Then she turned her gaze to Jason and her eyes suddenly filled with malice, as if a door had been opened to let it in from a special room in the back of her mind. "We should go now, Percy."

"Yeah," he said drowsily. "Let's go."

The two jogged their way back to the city outskirts. For some reason, the sky had begun to clear up. There was no longer a storm plaguing Corinth, as if it was happy Jason got beat up.

When they reached the chariots, Percy tiredly and boringly told them to bring him to Argos.

"Are you all right?" Zoë asked after their journey back began.

Percy silently stared forward, holding the reins of the horses loosely.

"Percy, I—"

"I thought he was my friend," he said suddenly, catching her off guard. "I had totally believed that he would make the right decision. To tell you the truth, I saw Aphrodite the day we arrived back in Iolcus. She said that it was Jason's decision as the love potion was going to wear off. She said that Eros shot a temporary love arrow at her. That meant she definitely chose to be with him out of love. Jason ... I thought that he'd—Never in my life would I ... maybe if I was bitter ..."

"Percy, you can't take this too harshly," Zoë said. "We all know what Heracles did to me was horrible, but if you had never run into me, what would you think of Jason's betrayal. You did the right thing back there, but I know this must be hard for you. Jason has been in your life for eight years, am I right?"

"Yes, but either way, he married her and promised that he would be her husband and they would live happily until the other died," he said. "It seems as though Medea took the twins with her. Jason obviously didn't have them. That makes it all the worse that he didn't care for abandoning his own children. He used to be so nice, though. He was helpful and the older brother I never had. What happened?"

"People change."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Keep a positive attitude," she said. "That's what you always tell me. Just forget about him, right?"

Percy wasn't sure if it was the sound of nature, but it sounded like the birds were singing a sad song. It was sad but hopeful. A small smile crept onto his face. "I know I shouldn't promise you anything because look where it got Jason... but this is different. No one ever said you couldn't learn from mistakes, even if they're the mistakes of others. I promise, like I promised back in Africa, that I will get you an eternal family _and_ I promise that for as long as I live, I will never treat women the way Jason and Heracles did. I swear it on the Styx."

Thunder grumbled in the distance.

"That's a dangerous promise," Zoë warned. "Like all men, you're bound to mistreat women."

Percy grinned, his sadness slowly dissipating at Zoë's joke. "You already have the perfect attitude for a Hunter of Artemis. I just have to train you a little more in terms of hunting animals and monsters, then teach you how to move stealthily and you'll be all set."

"Just wondering, why are we going back to Argos?"

"Ever hear of lycanthropes?" he asked her.

She shook her head.

"They can only be killed with silver," Percy replied. "So we're going to restock on silver just in case we run into them. Then, we need to find more celestial bronze, right?"

"Well this is definitely going to be the most interesting part of our journey," Zoë said sarcastically.

"That's the spirit," Percy said in a joking manner.

He turned to look back at the disappearing city of Corinth one last time, remembering Jason for the last time. He felt a soft hand touch his arm and turned. Zoë was giving him a soft, sad smile. He smiled back before facing forward and whipping the reins.

The horses neighed and said in sync, _Couldn't you have just told us?!_

As they trampled off back towards Argos, Percy laughed and replied, "Now where's the fun in that?"

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above.**

**Later on, I might actually decide that Percy may have a pairing in this story, so I have started one up about pairings. I will choose what I want, but I would like your opinions on it.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	20. The Hunt for the Calydonian Boar

**Hey everyone,**

**I'd like to announce that although some myths contradict with others, I may need to change the order in which historical myths took place to be able to fit the characters I want into the story.**

**Although the setting is ancient Greece, I will make the characters talk in English and informally, as if they were regular boys/men or girls/women in the modern world. It makes writing this a little bit easier, and the characters more relaxed than if they talked formally all the time.**

**_Just a note about copying and pasting author's notes...in the past, I have had readers who did not read the author's notes until later chapters. I just want to keep reminding. If you have already seen the author's notes, you can just skip them and go straight to reading the story. Thank you._**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 19**

**The Hunt for the Calydonian Boar**

"A Hunt for the Calydonian Boar," Percy read. "Well, it's a good thing we stayed in Argos for another year, huh? Now it's been around four and a half years since the launch of the _Argo_."

"A hunt would do well to help me practice for hunting seeing as we haven't left the city like we should have," Zoë said.

"Relax, Zoë," Percy said waving her off. "We have tons of time to get up onto Olympus. I'm sure the monsters that we should sacrifice to the gods won't be too difficult to find. We're around fifteen now, right? We have a few years to go. Besides, at least we get to learn of news of where old friends used to go. Add Theseus to the list of heroes that should be scorned. Luckily we went searching for Ariadne, otherwise she would have died of starvation. I'm sure Dionysus will take good care of her."

Zoë smiled remembering those events like they were yesterday. "That was all your idea. Sometimes I don't understand the extent of your kindness."

"I promised I wouldn't treat women the way Jason and Heracles did," he said. "It was only right to go and save her."

Zoë let out a sigh, leaning back in her seat at the old boatyard of Argos. "Well, Theseus got some of the payback he deserved. It's no wonder why it's called the Aegean sea now. Poor Aegeus, not a single clue of how to wait just a little longer to see if his son was actually dead."

Percy leaned back in his seat to, a smile flickering on his face before he stared at the wall. Theseus had been a pretty close friend of his, yet he, like Jason and Heracles, betrayed the woman he loved. Even when Percy had gotten really angry at Theseus in Athens, he still felt pity for his friend as he laid miserably on the ground, his love being left on an island and his father floated dead in the ocean. The one thing about Theseus that neither Jason nor Heracles did was regret what they did. At least Theseus felt bad about leaving Ariadne behind.

"When your life starts going down into a pit of nothing," Percy chuckled humorlessly. "I can't believe everything is changing so fast. I mean, it wasn't that long ago when I was looking forward to the quest, trying to become a tougher person. Now, I just don't know what to think after all those who have shaped me, aside from Atalanta, are either dead or have done the thing I saved you from.

"Everything is like a blur, and nothing seems to have stayed the same," he finished. "At least when we get back to Calydon, we'll get to see Atalanta again. Then we can compete against her in hunting. For a warm up, let's travel through the forests rather than on the roads. How does that sound?"

"When can we go?"

"Well, the hunt is in a week so we might as well head there now," Percy said. "We might even kill the boar on the way and not even have to compete with the others for the prize. That prize will send Leon enough riches to skyrocket his family and business up to wealthy living standards. He's like a lion that blacksmith. Scary but great once you get to know him."

"You've met a lion that's great once you got to know him?" Zoë asked doubtfully.

"Well, no."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course, making up random relationships between people and animals. You are still the most ridiculous person I've ever met."

"I am not ridiculous!" he said feigning offense.

"Just a minute ago, you were sulking about your friend being completely wrong in his actions."

"I know this is getting too repetitive but... stay positive!"

Zoë put a hand to her face in exasperation and frustration. "We use that sentence far too often. Too late to change that now."

"Of course it is. Now come on, let's go to the hunt."

* * *

The destruction caused by the boar was terrifying.

As they made their way to Calydon, they passed by villages, or at least places that used to be villages. The main lot of them had been torn down, destroyed until they crumbled into rubble and dust. Others had been burned down. Percy reasoned that the boar had knocked over torches and fire had caught onto flammable materials therefore causing the spreading of the fire.

There were only a select few left, though it looked as though the villages were on the brink of collapse. Most of the buildings had been abandoned, though the bravest of the men had stayed behind to preserve and protect their villages.

Percy and Zoë had arrived at one of the villages just after it had been destroyed, the brave men trying to defend it. One man had his upper body separated from his legs. It was a gruesome sight, the grass all around him stained by the blood. Others were mutilated like him. Some were barely harmed at all on the outside. Some had been stepped on. Some had been burned alive.

It wasn't exactly the welcoming that they were hoping for when they passed through these territories.

When they got to the city walls (this city miraculously built walls to protect themselves), they were quickly let in by the guards before it was shut roughly behind them. Inside the walls, it looked as though the city was preparing for a battle. Women and children still milled around, but they all had that look in their eyes, the look of fear.

Percy and Zoë walked through the city to the main palace where they were expecting to meet Prince Meleager and King Oeneus as guests to their city.

True enough that was, the king probably having received word that visitors had arrived in Calydon. King Oeneus stood before the pair and bowed, a sign that he was in desperate times.

"Hello, young ones," he said. "You look like travellers who need rest and supplies."

"Actually," said Percy, "we're here to enter in the hunt for the Calydonian Boar. We heard it was causing you trouble, and an old friend of ours lives here. We wanted to help her out by helping to get rid of the boar."

Oeneus stared at them in disbelief. He turned to face his son, Meleager, who gave them a kind smile. King Oeneus turned back to them and said, "But you are not yet adults. You are not a man nor you a woman. How could you possibly think you could survive in the hunt for a massive boar?"

"My father is right," Meleager said. "You are but children. I'm sorry to crush your hopes and dreams, but killing a giant boar that tore down the countryside is not for everyone, especially the likes of you."

Zoë narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean _the likes of you_?"

"Children, adolescents, immature little—"

"Percy! Zoë!" cried an ecstatic voice to their right.

Out of nowhere, a twenty-year-old girl flung herself at the duo, crushing them in a giant hug. Meleager's face was full of shock and confusion. "Atalanta... you know these children?"

She ignored him for the time being, grabbing Percy's shoulders. "It's been a year and a half since we last saw each other. Like I said, I've missed you." Then she turned to Zoë. "How's the knife work going?"

"Not enough practice," she said shrugging. "Percy sucks with a knife."

Percy chuckled, knowing that was true. He looked at his old friend sadly. "Did you hear about what Theseus did to Ariadne?"

"Oh, yes," sighed Atalanta sorrowfully. "He's been moping about it ever since he got here."

"He's here?" asked an eager Zoë. "Where?"

Percy held up a hand to stop her. "Moping?"

The daughter of Iasus nodded sadly. "He deserves what he got, but he's so heartbroken about it... He resents what he did and refuses to do anything until he apologizes to Ariadne. We all know she will never forgive him, but the least we can do is try and send the message. I've never seen him so depressed, not since... since the _Argo_ when he asked me."

"What do you mean he 'refuses to do anything'?" he asked.

"Nothing that a king is supposed to do," she replied. "He offered himself to join the hunt, but says he wants to die facing the boar. He wants to go to the Underworld and beg Hades to tell Ariadne what he felt after leaving her."

Zoë bit her lip as she looked at Percy. Atalanta was right. He did get what he deserved, but the fact that he was chewing himself out to the point where he didn't care for his own life was maddening. Percy _had_ known Theseus for a long time... It was all up to Zoë. She knew what Ariadne felt, she would know what he truly deserved in the end.

"Sorry to bother this old reminiscent talk but how, exactly, do you know these two, Atalanta?" asked Meleager.

"Sorry for not introducing you sooner," she mumbled. "Prince Meleager of Calydon, Zoë and Perseus. Zoë and Perseus, Prince Meleager of Calydon. But call Perseus Percy. He doesn't like being referred to as equal to the first Perseus whom he regards as 'better than me in every such way.'"

"Well, it's true!" Percy put his hands up in surrender. "He faced Medusa!"

"And you've faced the Colchian drakon, nearly fought an army of Colchians, sailed through the entire world, fought Cynoscephalae, rescued Zoë from a terrible fate, and is the real capturer of the Golden Fleece!"

"You were an Argonaut?" exclaimed Meleager with wide eyes. "Atalanta said—"

"Yeah, I started when I was ten years old. Big deal."

"And I've trained them both in hunting, though most Percy," Atalanta boasted. "Percy trained Zoë, at least I hope he did. They will be capable in hunting the Calydonian Boar. I've heard Percy take out tigers with two well-placed arrows and a sword."

"Not seen?"

"Well, I saw the aftermath."

"And he actually..."

"Yes."

"Well then..." Meleager turned back to Percy and Zoë. "I trust Atalanta knows what she is talking about, as always."

Atalanta blushed.

"So, welcome to Calydon," he greeted. He stuck his hand out for shaking. It was a fairly new greeting type that had recently gotten popular. "All hunters participating in the hunt will have a room saved for them inside the palace and will be fed full meals until the day of, which is tomorrow. You would be surprised how many people don't read the small print."

Meleager held up one of the posters and pointed to the small writing at the bottom. Percy read aloud, "_All hunters who participate in this event will get a complimentary room and food until the day of the hunt._"

"Devious," Zoë muttered.

"Yes, only Theseus, Peleus, Telamon, Ancaeus and the Dioscuri have arrived so far," King Oeneus said.

"Peleus? Ancaeus? Castor? Polydeuces?" asked Percy.

Atalanta nodded. "A lot of Argonauts so far, Percy. Hopefully more are up to the challenge. It is a wonderful prize. The boar's hide is worth dozens of drachma. That should lure men into fighting for it, huh Zoë?"

"Yeah, most will be fighting for the prize, like many men do, but Percy and I are just doing it to help your kingdom, King Oeneus," she said, smiling at the aging king. "It will also help me improve my skills against actual beasts rather than animals who won't fight back."

"We haven't run into any hellhounds," Percy explained. "It's no fun. It's almost as if Hades is trying to suck all of our fun away. Of course, I am the son of his no-good brother..."

"A son of Zeus?" Meleager asked.

"No!" Percy snapped angrily. "I'm not related to Heracles. I'm a son of Poseidon and am unfortunately related to Orion, the stupid giant who raped women behind Artemis' back while he tried to seduce her. The least he could've done was not lie to the goddess' face."

The prince of Calydon nodded in understanding before turning towards his father and bowing. "Shall I take them inside the palace to their rooms?"

"Of course, my son," said the king.

Meleager turned to him and Zoë. "Follow me, you will be put in a guest room for the time being. Would you like to have separate rooms?"

"No thanks," Zoë said. "We trust each other enough to stay in the same room. Unless Percy has this fetish I am unaware of." She cracked a smile and winked at him to let him know she was just joking.

"It seems to me as though hunting is not all you've learned from Percy," Atalanta noted.

"I'm usually more serious, but when I feel anxious and antsy, I try to cover it up with a layer of humor," she said admittedly.

Meleager was looking impatient and a little angry that we seemed to be having such a good relationship with Atalanta. True enough, he knew her first, but he hadn't spent nearly three years seeing her. _And every single day_, Percy added.

"Come Percy and Zoë," he said, an obvious touch of vexation in his voice. "I will lead you to your room. It will be next to your friend Theseus so you can have your little chat with him. Dinner is going to be soon, at sundown. You will be able to tell the time from your window."

"See you later," Atalanta said smiling.

"Bye!" they said in unison.

As they followed Meleager up the steps to the palace, Zoë whispered quietly to Percy, "What's the matter with him? Why is he angry with us? What did we do to him or his kingdom?"

"He's just mad that we know Atalanta quite well," he whispered back. "It's quite obvious that he fancies her. He did give her an expensive looking necklace. To think what would have happened if Theseus hadn't given the necklace back would be like thinking what would have happened if Heracles wasn't a son of Zeus: disastrous."

"How is Heracles not being a son of Zeus disastrous?"

"If Heracles still did his tasks and was a son of Hades or Poseidon, then Zeus would have done everything in his power to either kill him or take all his credit away," Percy explained. "I'm glad I'm living at the same time Heracles did otherwise Zeus would have his full attention on me rather than half and half."

"Consider yourself lucky, I guess."

"Yeah."

Meleager led them through a huge opening where doors would have been, had the king wanted to make it a pain to enter and exit the palace. It was at least four times Percy's height, and for his age, he was pretty tall.

They were led through a corridor to the right and they went up marble stairs. There was a path of animal furs on the ground, strewn across the floor as if to make it okay to walk barefoot through this part of the palace. They continued through until they reached a hallway with sets of doors on either side. There were so many doors that Percy felt as if he were back on the _Argo_.

"Two doors down on the left side," Meleager said, pointing down the hallway.

"Thanks," Zoë muttered, and she walked towards the room. Percy gave Meleager a curt nod before following Zoë.

The guest room wasn't really anything fancy in terms of royal perspective. In the eyes of Percy, who had grown up in the wild his entire life and never really had the luxury of seeing large amounts of riches in any form other than drachmas, it was a magnificent looking room.

It was indescribable to the son of Poseidon.

"Wow, this is nice," he said.

"I've never seen anything like it," Zoë said. "It seems extraterrestrial, like I've stepped into a whole different world. There was nothing like this back west. I'm not sure about you but I prefer the outdoors. This just doesn't suit me well."

"Zoë, you look like royalty," Percy said. "So you might as well enjoy it until we have to go hunting tomorrow. Then we'll get back to our normal lives: hunting."

"I suppose..."

The door creaked open behind them and a reluctant head poked in giving the two a teary-eyed smile and a look that begged for forgiveness. Percy almost didn't recognize him. The man who poked his head in looked terrible: his eyes were red and puffy, the shade of green his eyes dull, his hair was chopped unevenly, and a scar ran down the right side of his face, from his right eye until it reached his neck.

"Percy," he croaked in a voice that Percy had never heard him in. It was even worse than the time he saw that depressed version of him on the _Argo_ a couple years back. "Zoë."

"Theseus," replied Zoë in a conflicted voice. "How are you doing?"

"I suppose you can tell from my appearance," he said fully opening the door and hobbling in. "Do you mind if I..."

"Come in," Percy said.

Instead of doing what he expected him to do, Theseus sat on the floor rather than one of the beds. He didn't look young and fresh or anything like royalty. He looked as though he'd lived as a broken man for his entire life.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

Percy glanced at Zoë, who looked both sad and angry. He could tell she was still angry for what Theseus did to Ariadne, yet she looked sad as he was the only one to show compunction. Jason and Heracles didn't feel affected by their actions much, but Theseus... he looked almost dead.

"Tell us the entire story, including the Labyrinth," Zoë demanded at last, sitting on the bed right in front of Theseus.

Percy took a seat next to Zoë and listened as Theseus told his story.

He started with reaching Athens, finding Medea there, Medea plotting to kill him, and rejoicing with his father. Then it turned out Aegeus owed King Minos of Crete. Seven Athenian boys and seven Athenian girls would be sent to be killed by the monster. Theseus volunteered to slay it and promised his father that if he succeeded, he would return with a white sail. At Crete, he received the help of Ariadne. But on their way back, a goddess (he didn't specify which goddess) spoke in his mind. She said to leave Ariadne on a deserted island halfway back. Torn with distress, he finally agreed not wishing to anger the goddess. Then as he returned to Athens, he found out that his father had flung himself off the palace thinking he was dead. As he reached the shore, he realized that the goddess had tricked him. It was a test to see if it was love he felt towards Ariadne or not. Ever since, he gave his position as king of Athens away and roamed the lands as a homeless fool. At the end, Theseus curled up into a ball and stared at the wall, rocking back and forth.

"Don't live your life like this, Theseus," Percy said sympathetically. "I understand we were angry when you arrived back in Athens, but we didn't think it would affect you this much. We thought you would be like Jason."

"No," he said. "I loathed Jason the moment I heard what he had done. Medea didn't really want to hurt me. She was just heartbroken from Jason's betrayal and acted purely out of rage."

Zoë patted Theseus on the shoulder. "It's okay, Theseus. You deserved what you got in the death of your father, but you don't deserve to starve to death."

"I betrayed her like Jason did Medea! I deserve everything that's come to me!"

"But you regret it. That's what matters most," Percy said. "Some need reminders from others to regret what they did, but you did that on your own. You deserve a second chance. Maybe people can learn that acts of kindness can sometimes be more powerful than a sword."

Zoë and Theseus stared at him.

"What?" Percy asked.

"Acts of kindness can sometimes be more powerful than a sword?" Zoë asked.

Percy put a finger up to his chin. "I made that up out of the blue, but it can be true. For example, what if I hadn't saved you from a terrible life? What if I just said I killed Heracles with a sword and left you alone? It's a bad example but you get what I mean."

She nodded, still staring at him. "Yeah. I do."

"Not all can be forgiven, Theseus, but some things can." Percy offered his hand to the king of Athens. "If you can change, maybe you can become a great hero after death."

Theseus hesitantly grabbed Percy's hand and used it to help himself up. A small smile broke onto his face. "Thanks, Percy. Thanks, Zoë. I'll never forget this. You watch."

* * *

The next day, the courtyard just outside the palace of Calydon was filled with almost fifty men and two women.

Prince Meleager stepped onto the ledge of the fountain in the middle and held his hands up in the air. "Everyone please be quiet!"

The conversations slowly died down as the heads turned to the prince standing in the center of the courtyard; however, before Meleager could speak a single word, two fancy-looking men with decorative bows and expensive clothing spoke up.

"Prince Meleager," one of them said bowing. His voice was a little whiny with a giant spoon of snob spread over top. "I must ask you one question. Why are there women here? Are they to serve us when our hunt is over? And tell us why that boy is here with a bow and a quiver? Does he think he is well-suited to hunt a boar at the size of this Calydonian one?"

"I must agree with Anaikos," the other man said. His voice was not whiny like the other man's. He had a considerably lower voice and was not snobby. The only part to that was the tone of his voice. He seemed to think himself higher than others.

Meleager tightly pressed his lips together. "The girls' names are Atalanta and Zoë, and they will be hunting alongside us for today. The boy with be hunting as well and his name is Perseus."

Anaikos wrinkled his nose. "You have got to be kidding me. There is no way Kepheus and I will be hunting alongside such disgraces to the art of hunting."

The other man, Kepheus, nodded. And that triggered an explosion of complaining.

Most of the other men seemed to agree with them and started yelling at Meleager, yelling phrases so rude that Atalanta actually tried to stop Percy and Zoë from hearing them. It was to no avail as the two had heard everything the raging men and tried to say.

"Actually, I have seen these three hunt and they are quite amazing, better than us," a man said from the middle of the crowd. Percy had heard that voice before and his face broke into a smile when he saw who it was.

"Polydeuces," he said waving. "Castor."

"Percy," they greeted. "Zoë. Atalanta."

Said girls waved back at the Dioscuri. Anaikos and Kepheus stared at them with their jaws dropped. Kepheus blinked and pointed at Polydeuces. "You know them?"

"They were part of the Argonauts," Castor said, sending a ripple of shock over the crowd of men.

"And that is why they will be capable of hunting a boar," Meleager said. "Is that clear?"

Everyone looked amongst each other before saying in harmony, "Yes, we understand."

"Good, now let the hunt begin!"

Trumpets blared from the palace and immediately, Meleager took off, grabbing Atalanta on the way.

Percy and Zoë were the last ones to leave the courtyard, but to them it didn't matter. Their goal was to save Calydon from fear and save the surrounding villages from complete destruction. They didn't care about the prize like the others, even if it was extremely tempting. They were just there to help.

"So, where should we start?" Zoë asked.

Percy scanned the area before pointing to a mountain, "I think that's Mount Zygos. We should try to get a better view. The monster has to be huge to destroy villages like that and scare the Calydonians back into their city. Getting up at a higher elevation will be good. And who knows, maybe we'll run into the boar on the way. We have to take the stealthy approach, though. No one can know where we're going."

"Got it," Zoë replied.

Then they took off for the forest. When they got to the base of the mountain, they began scouting out where a good lookout view would be to see where the boar was.

"Where do you think would be a good place to view the landscape from?" Zoë asked.

Percy frowned and looked up. As he analyzed the few ledges that they could climb up to, he thought he heard the trees and leaves behind them were rustling... no the trees off behind them to the left in the distance. It was distant, so Percy ignored it for the time being.

"I don't know," he admitted to Zoë. "It would take us a long time to get to that one, but this lower one might not be the best view we could have to find the boar. And—"

He cut himself off and whirled around. There was nothing behind him, but he oddly felt as though someone was watching him. He felt as though a pair of eyes were ready to attack him. When he turned back to Zoë, the feeling dissipated and he shook his head.

"Are you okay?" she asked concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He waved her off. "Here, let me boost you up. The lower ledge is always a start."

Percy stood at the bottom of the cliffside part of the mountain and boosted Zoë up to the very, lower ledge that was connected to their destination via a path that seemed to be carved naturally into the side of the mountain.

Just as she got up, a loud male voice yelled, "KILL THEM!" and Percy was ambushed by six men with swords.

"Percy!" Zoë shouted in warning.

But she didn't need to. As soon as those words escape the mouth of the man, Percy had Anaklusmos out ready to intercept the men who obviously wanted them out of the hunt.

They had bows slung over their backs and two of them stopped just short of Percy and brought their bows out. They were aiming for Zoë, who dodged out of the way like a fox, sleek and swift, and pulled her own bow out.

"Kill or injure?" Zoë shouted.

Percy was about to say "injure" when an arrow tore right through Zoë's knee. He felt energy and anger rush through him and he shouted, "Kill!"

Before the men charging Percy knew what was happening, he somersaulted over them and jabbed Anaklusmos straight through the neck of the largest man. The man dropped dead at Percy's feet, blood gushing out of his wound like a fountain. Percy had already moved on, though, parrying a swipe from Anaikos. Anaikos was terrible with a sword, his blow so weak that Percy's parry knocked it right out of his hands. It was clear these men were hunters, not sword fighters.

Percy slit Anaikos' throat with a shallow cut, making him suffer as he bled out. The next two men tried fleeing, but Percy pulled out his bow and shot two quick arrows at the retreating men. The arrows didn't hit them in fatal places, but they both collapsed to the ground clutching the arrows in them.

Then he beheaded the two archers and went back to the fallen men. They were trying to crawl away, but Percy grabbed them and pinned them to two trees with steel-tipped arrows. Then he cut small wounds in their necks and growled, "You should never have tried to kill us. Seriously hurting my friend is what you get."

Then he turned back to Zoë who just rolled off of the ledge. She landed on the ground with a _thump_.

He ran over to her and looked at the arrow in her knee. It had torn right through, most likely destroying the bone. It would have taken a really powerful bow to tear right through like it did. He looked her in the eyes and asked, "How much does it hurt?"

She grit her teeth and closed her eyes in agonizing pain. In a pained voice she replied, "A lot." He knew it was taking a lot of her will not to shed tears. The wound was painful.

Percy took off his pack and looked inside. "I know I have some ambrosia and nectar in here. There has to be some."

"I'll still need to rest, to heal," she croaked. "Let's forfeit the hunt. Get me to the infirmary."

"Are you sure?" Percy asked. "We can still take out the boar. You just attack it from long range."

Zoë shook her head. "Serves these bastards right for trying to kill us."

"Normally, I wouldn't kill, but your knee!" He finally found the nectar. "Oh thank the gods that demigods are allowed to have ambrosia and nectar. Too bad for Tantalus, though. Never steal it."

Zoë tried lifting her upper body up to see the damage to her leg, but winced and fell back down to the ground. A tear from each eye escaped.

"Don't move it, we don't want to cause any more damage," Percy said. He took a bit of nectar and poured it around the wound on both sides. Then he took the bronze arrowhead off the arrow and poured nectar on that side of the wound. He put the nectar aside and held Zoë's leg to the ground. "This is going to hurt, Zoë. Brace yourself. The splinters will hurt the most."

She nodded closing her eyes and biting her lip.

Then Percy pulled the arrow out of Zoë's leg. The muffled scream and loud whimper that was elicited from Zoë when he pulled the arrow out hurt him as well. He couldn't bear to see Zoë in that much pain. Unfortunately, things like this happened and there was nothing he could do to prevent it. Women were often the targets.

He grabbed the nectar and poured it on the wound. Slowly, the wound healed in her leg and it returned to normal. They waited a little longer before Percy helped Zoë up.

"Lean on my shoulder," he told her. "Hopefully no one tries to intercept us."

They hobbled back towards the palace slowly, carefully avoiding tree roots and anything that would get in their way. Some of the trees were dryads and they helped the two get back to the palace quicker, pulling Zoë along before dropping her off at the next dryad. He knew dryads only had a certain distance they could get away from their home tree unless they were willing to die.

However, when they were halfway with the fourth dryad, she suddenly yelped and disappeared with an explosion of green mist.

"What the Hades?" Percy shouted.

"Wait, Percy," Zoë said. "Do you hear that?"

He frowned and looked at her. "What?"

"Listen."

Percy quickly delved into silence, waiting for whatever was coming. Then heard it, just like before, the leaves were rustling. The only difference this time, accompanying the rustling leaves was shaking. The ground was shaking, as if a miniature earthquake was approaching them.

Then something crashed through the trees, and Percy dove to the dirt, Zoë in his arms. He had an arm wrapped around her as they collided with the ground. Earth seemed to explode around them, trees collapsing and dirt flying everywhere. When Percy looked up, a terrifying sight welcomed him.

The Calydonian Boar, its beady eyes glaring at them, looked murderous and ready to kill them.

Zoë moved to get her bow and arrow, but Percy stopped her. "Don't," he whispered. "Move to get weapons and it will kill us."

"But—"

"Trust me, Zoë. Trust me."

The boar pawed the dirt and glared at them for what seemed like days before it let out a gurgling sound. "_REET_!" the boar squealed.

As if they could read each other's minds, both of them rolled to the side, nocked an arrow and let them go. Both arrows nailed the boar in the eyes before another three arrows stuck into the boar's back.

The boar let out a squeal of pain and spun around trying to find the third attacker.

Percy ran over to help Zoë back off as Atalanta and Meleager leaped into the scene. The former shot more arrows into its hide as Meleager came with a sword. Like the others, he was a hunter and didn't look that comfortable with it. He made the killing blow on the monster, driving the sword through the beast's breast and into the heart.

"That was close," Zoë said.

"Nice shot," Percy complimented. He turned to examine her leg, poking at it to see if it still hurt.

She shook her head and nonchalantly said, "It feels more like I severely bruised it now. The nectar worked well."

Percy smiled and let out a little laughter. "Leave it to you to be braver than people think you are."

Meleager pulled a conch shell out of his bag and blew it as loud as he could. Then he turned to Atalanta. "That was excellent! We managed to kill the boar! Finally, my father will no longer have to worry about this beast ravishing the countryside and the remaining villages are safe."

She smiled and nodded before turning to Percy and Zoë. "Nice shots you two. It was funny seeing you on the ground considering at your skill level with melee weapons should have made you think of a better way of attacking it."

"That wasn't why we were on the ground, Atalanta," Zoë said. "We got ambushed. Six men tried killing us, and I took an arrow right through my knee. Percy managed to heal most of the wound with nectar, but it feels like I've severely bruised it... not to a life-threatening level of course."

"Are you okay?" asked Meleager.

"I just need to get some rest on my leg and get to the infirmary to check from any extra damage," she said.

He nodded and looked at Percy. "Would you like to help me escort your friend to the infirmary?"

"Yes, sure."

Percy and Meleager stood on either side of Zoë as they made their way back to the palace. Atalanta stood at their side asking about all that had happened while carrying the boar's hide. Percy told her the story and the outcome, including the deaths of the men.

Meleager shook his head in disgust. "This was supposed to be a hunt for the boar, not to attack hunters you don't want in the hunt. Good riddance to them." He looked apologetically at Zoë and Percy. "We will have to hand out the prize, which will go to Atalanta."

The other male hunters didn't take that news well. Toxeus and Plexippus, the uncles of Meleager, took it the worst.

While they were disputing about everything, though, Percy and Zoë walked over to the palace as Atalanta led them to the infirmary. She smiled at the pair when they arrived. "I don't think you'll want to be around when they 'resolve' this dispute. Things may get ugly."

"That's all right, Atalanta," Percy said.

The three of them looked at each other another time, supposedly the final goodbye. Atalanta didn't think she would be staying around too often in Calydon, her reasons unknown to the other two. It was another sad farewell, but the fact that Percy and Atalanta already had a saddening farewell made this one a little easier. She wished Percy and Zoë the best of luck in their journey's ahead, and Percy wished her the best of luck with Meleager.

"If I do end up winning that prize from Meleager, I'll make sure to sacrifice it to the gods, as a present from us three," Atalanta said. "That way, it will be a little easier for you to get up onto Olympus."

"That sounds great," Zoë said.

She opened her mouth to speak something, but instead exhaled and gave them a smile before departing the room. Percy watched as she left and continued to watch until there was no sign that she would be returning.

As his palm was facing the ceiling, a soft, gentle hand lay on top of it. Percy turned and looked at Zoë, who was giving him a look that told him everything he needed to feel better. He looked back at the entrance, just in the light of things.

Zoë squeezed his hand, an unmistakable message in it. He squeezed back and said, "Yes, Zoë. The final journey begins here."

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above.**

**Later on, I might actually decide that Percy may have a pairing in this story, so I have started one up about pairings. I will choose what I want, but I would like your opinions on it.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	21. The Final Journey Begins

**Hey everyone,**

**I'd like to announce that although some myths contradict with others, I may need to change the order in which historical myths took place to be able to fit the characters I want into the story.**

**Although the setting is ancient Greece, I will make the characters talk in English and informally, as if they were regular boys/men or girls/women in the modern world. It makes writing this a little bit easier, and the characters more relaxed than if they talked formally all the time.**

**At the end, I apologize for rushing this chapter, but I already had a lot previous. I originally planned to have all short chapters, but my imagination took off and it turned from a planned 4,000 to 6,422 words. So, apologies ahead for the rush at the end of the chapter.**

**_Just a note about copying and pasting author's notes...in the past, I have had readers who did not read the author's notes until later chapters. I just want to keep reminding. If you have already seen the author's notes, you can just skip them and go straight to reading the story. Thank you._**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 20**

**The Final Journey Begins**

The manticore was a tough beast to find. It was elusive, sneaky and easily disappeared into the wind.

Or maybe it was the fact that rarely anyone had heard of it. Apparently, it was a very eastern monsters, out further east than the Phoenicians. And they were far east, just like Colchis. Of course, Zoë and Percy didn't really have a map to refer to. It seemed as though to the south and east only desert awaited for them.

It was the native tribes that really helped them through the dusty storms and dry climate. They wore loose robes that were very different from the tunic that Percy always wore. Instead of covering most of the body, the robes covered the entire body, including the head and the feet.

They wore their regular Greek sandals, but traded for the loose-fitting clothing that they had been so explicitly advised to wear. Zoë wore an eastern white headdress, which made her look like some sort of Egyptian princess (even though only the pharaohs were considered important). Percy on the other hand, just wore a brown cloak over his robes. It made him a little bit warmer, but he liked the cloak better than the headdress.

"It doesn't suit me," he had complained to Zoë. Her response was the shaking of her head and the rolling of her eyes.

This was the first beast that he and Zoë was to find to sacrifice to the gods. It was a good thing that those in the far east heard of the legends of the great beast, otherwise the two of them would have been stuck trying to find a monster that was said to have only been seen by a lucky survivor.

Half a year was spent by the duo to travel to the far east. They made their way across the "Grand Desert" to get to an even further east land called India. There, the Phoenicians said that the creature would be a very common story and it would be easier to track the beast down. It turned out that the Indians had as much of a clue as they had about the whereabouts of the manticore, though they rumored that they would find their answers if they followed the coast back west.

After listening to the Indians' advice, they traveled west until they saw more land across a strait of some sort.

Percy threw back his hood and placed a hand over his eyes. "Do you think he might be across that strait? The manticore, I mean."

Zoë looked up in the sky. "Well, you did a great job figuring out how to know which direction we're heading in, so I would assume that this is going south. We don't want to get any further away from Greece than we are now."

"True." He turned around and examined the desert and hills behind them. "It doesn't look like we'll be running into him anytime soon. Why do these creatures have to be so hard to find? How in the world did Heracles find all of those stupid monsters so easily?" He kicked the sand in frustration and dust flew up.

"Athena," Zoë muttered. Then her eyes lit up. "Athena! That's it!"

Percy gave her a confused look. "What are you blabbering on about, Zoë?"

"Don't you remember you idiot?" she said slapping his shoulder. "Athena is the companion of heroes. She's bound to know what we're up to. Now, what was the symbol of Athena again?"

"Whoa! Hold up. Athena is the companion of heroes, that's right, but..." He trailed off, the realization hitting him like a ram. Percy grabbed her shoulders. "You're a genius! Remember the river in India and just outside of the Phoenician settlements? Both times there were owls flying off in the distance. In Phoenicia, the owl flew towards India. In India, it was the opposite! That means—"

"—that the manticore is somewhere in between!" Zoë finished excitedly. Then she froze. "But how are we supposed to figure it out now when we're in the middle of a desert?"

Percy gave her a sly smile. "Oh, but we're not, Zoë." He pointed up into the sky and a giant waterfall of water rose from the strait. Winking at her, he said. "We're not at all."

"But we're still in a desert-like climate," she said. "Will she show us the path in this kind of weather?"

"Ah, but you are forgetting one thing, my dear," he said holding a finger up. "What does water and soil put together equal?"

"Fertile soil?"

"Precisely."

"But soil can't be healthily fertile when there is salt in the ocean's waters," Zoë said. "This _is_ an ocean, right?"

"Yes, but often when there is an ocean, there are rivers and streams along them," he explained. "And sometimes there are places where water gets soaked deeper into the earth, when my father is feeling like he wants to drown the Underworld out. Those help the trees grow from underneath."

"Your father does that?"

"With Demeter's help, of course. They tag-team an area in which they deem good enough to have fertile land. We're bound to run into one, soon. Just keep moving and we'll get there."

Sure enough, just after a couple days of walking, they ended up in a forested area. There weren't that many trees, nothing compared to the hills of Greece, but for this area of the world, it was a lot. Even grass grew near the water's edge, just past the beach.

It was quite convenient actually. It was the perfect place for them to get out of the sun as well, to take off their headgear that had made them hot in the blazing sun. It seemed as though Helios and Demeter didn't like this part of the world very much.

They set up a camp in this nice, cooler region and waited until the owl came to signify where they had to go. When the sun set, Percy was the first one to be the lookout. It would be Zoë's turn halfway through the night. During Percy's shift, he sat with his back against a tree, staring out at the waters of the far east. To him, it was odd and peculiar to see how there were such little rivers connected to this long strait of the ocean, and even weirder that there were barely any living establishments along this oceanside.

Nothing happened throughout his turn as lookout until the very end.

He crept into the tent and gently shook Zoë awake. She let out a soft groan and turned away from Percy on his first attempt. He rolled his eyes and shook her again. "Come on, Zoë. It's your turn to be the lookout."

"All right, all right," she muttered and sat up. Rubbing her eyes, she yawned, and then stretched her arms out. Then she crawled halfway out of the tent when Percy froze, just as he was about to get into bed.

"Wait, Zoë!" he hissed.

She froze and quietly turned her head to the son of Poseidon. "What?"

Percy listened intently for the next few seconds, trying to hear what he had heard just seconds before. It was sort of like a growl, like an animal's... yet it sounded like a human had made that sound. It was a hybrid, like a lycanthrope, and Percy could only hope it was one thing.

Though tired, he took his bow and quiver and slung them. Anaklusmos was still clipped in his messy, untidy hair. He turned to Zoë and said, "Stay quiet and follow me. I think we found the manticore."

Zoë's eyes widened but she listened to Percy and stayed silent. She followed him out with her own bow and quiver full of arrows. A celestial bronze knife was at her side and she kept her bow near it just in case of a surprise ambush.

Percy delved further into the trees, and although it was fairly thin, the dark and cold made it hard for them to see. He thought he saw the silhouette of a monster in the distance in front of him, but when he blinked, it was gone.

He turned to Zoë. "I swear that—" He cut himself off.

"Swear what?"

Percy suddenly pulled out Anaklusmos and was ready to fight. Just as he did that, a huge spike flew past his ear, nearly taking it off. It slammed into the tree behind them.

Zoë jumped back in surprised and let a stray arrow fly into the darkness.

Then they saw the creature they had spent half a year trying to find. He wasn't nearly as scary as the Indians had told them, but he looked dangerous. His face was still human-like, an eye brown and the other blue; however, he also had the body of a lion's, a large predatory beast that neither of them had conquered yet. The lion's body wasn't even the scariest part. It was the tail that made Percy and Zoë wary of the monster. The tail of the manticore was long and large, and it replicated a scorpion's tail except much larger. And bristling at the end of the tail were huge spikes, thorns actually.

Percy shouldn't have been wary of the monster, considering he had fought a drakon before, but as he learned with Jason, expect the unexpected.

The manticore growled and spoke something in another language.

"What is it saying?" Zoë asked Percy.

"I don't know... it sounds... similar to the tribes that we met..." he muttered. Turning his attention to the beast, he said, "I'm sorry, but we don't understand whatever you're talking in. It was only the Phoenicians who knew their language and also Greek that we communicated with the peoples of the lands you prey on."

The manticore grinned. "Such bold Greeks," he purred. "Coming out to the far east, into my domain, to try to kill me. You know this is not natural to you. You are not used to fighting in the deserts. You must be cold right now, those loose robes. But I wouldn't expect you to know much of me, for I have always been shunned, put away because I am not 'dangerous' enough to be considered a threat to Greek heroes. So instead, I prey on the weak tribes of the east, ones with much less might than the city-states of Hellas."

"Coward," Percy said, the hair clip in his hands seemingly bursting with eagerness to spring into action.

"So brave, yet so young," the manticore said, almost as if he had a heart. "I feel it is almost a pity to end the lives of those so young. But unfortunately, that is how life works."

"Scatter!" Percy shouted, just as a barrage of thorns came hurtling at them. When he and Zoë locked eyes as they got up, he shouted, "Run!"

She obeyed his command and ran in the opposite direction of each other. It wouldn't be long before the dirt and trees turned into grass before finally transforming into sand. He didn't have too far to run to. Added to the fact that he needed to get Zoë before he left...

"Where's a shield when you need one?" he muttered under his breath.

He whirled around a few trees before looking back to see where the monster was. The darkness obscured his vision greatly, but he saw a figure roar in the distance, bounding over towards Zoë. Percy growled and started forward, but not before he tripped on a tree root.

He got up quickly but froze before he could take three steps. The thing he had tripped on wasn't a tree root at all. He heard the clang of the metal. Percy turned around to find a random shield sitting on the ground.

"Well, that was convenient," he murmured. Percy picked up the shield from the ground and turned it around. What was on the face of the shield was something horrifying that he thought would instantly petrify him and turn him to stone. Moments later, he realized that it was just a carving into the bronze. Gingerly, he picked the shield back up and realized what it was.

"Aegis, the shield of Athena..." he breathed in awe. "A gift from Perseus."

Looking down at the ground, a sudden fiery determination set in him. The manticore was but another monster that needed to be temporarily eradicated from this world. It wasn't _that_ dangerous, and Zoë wouldn't have a single injury from the freaky scorpion-tailed beast. Not if he could help it.

Bursting down into the forest, Percy ran until he met up with Zoë, who was doing her best to avoid the monster.

"Run, Percy!" she shouted as she ran by. He noticed that a part of her hair had been chopped off, most likely by a throw from the manticore's tail. Zoë stopped and shouted at Percy. "Come on! Why are you standing there?"

"_RAWR_!" the manticore growled as he appeared in Percy's line of sight. Another barrage of arrows were sent flying, but this time Percy was prepared. He brought up Aegis (or a replica made by Hephaestus, he assumed) and the spikes slammed hard into the shield. But the shield didn't break... nor did it even dent.

"Where did you—" Zoë started breathlessly. It was only then that she seemed to notice the shield.

At the sight of the horrifying Medusa on the shield, the manticore recoiled and hissed. He threw some more spikes at Percy, but the shield held its ground. "Where did you get that?" the manticore growled.

"It's a present from a goddess," he said, lowering his shield at bit. He gave the beast an all-too-familiar smile. "And this is where you are going to die, manticore."

Zoë, in a flash, appeared behind him. Her whisper send a shiver down his spine. "I'll shoot arrows while you advance. Maybe if I get a good shot off, you will be able to attack it and kill it."

"Sounds like a plan," he replied.

And so, the two advanced. Percy acted as a front-line soldier, taking all of the force on his shield that would never break. As quick as an antelope, Zoë darted out and shot an arrow at the manticore. Usually, it would hit the body of the beast, slowly wearing it down.

The human face of the monster started showing real human emotions, his face morphing into that of a worried man and before long a scared man.

Time and time again, Zoë pelted the beast with more arrows than the manticore could throw back, which was an incredible feat considering his tail could fire at least five spikes at once.

Finally, before long, the manticore tried to run. Zoë took that opportunity to aim a perfect shot that hit its neck, making the beast howl and stop moving. Percy bolted forward and cut the tail of the manticore off before beheading the beast. Slowly, all of the manticore but the tail dissolved into the earth and was sucked down into Tartarus.

Zoë sighed contentedly. "We did it! The first monster done!"

"It took a long time, too long," Percy said.

"But we did it."

"True enough. One down, three to go."

* * *

"You may be immortal, but we can still lock your remains in a cage before you can re-grow!" Percy shouted as claws nearly decapitated him.

Zoë leaped to his side, fending off the creatures that meant to kill them.

In all honesty, the duo had attacked _them _first, catching the gorgons by surprise as they seemingly walked aimlessly in some random Thracian forest. It had been months since the two had sacrificed the manticore's tail to the gods. Percy was now sixteen.

At first, Percy thought that Medusa's sisters were like her except immortal. So, he came in using Aegis to look at their reflections. He also first thought that the gorgons only had snake hair and ugly faces. It turned out that they had gold wings, claws of a hybrid chicken-wolf, boar tusks, scaly skin and fangs. That part was new to Percy and he had a knack for staring at strange things he had never seen before. In turn, it caused him to look in their eyes. The embarrassing truth was that Stheno and Euryale didn't have that amazing power that Medusa did.

The gorgons had said that Athena hated Medusa that most and gave her the worse qualities. She allowed Stheno and Euryale to stay immortal whilst their sister was mortal.

After that, Percy again tried attacking them which only earned their wrath. He and Zoë had been running, splitting and hunting for the past week trying to subdue the gorgons, but it was a tiring effort. The gorgons seemed to never tire, and Percy and Zoë were running out of supplies. They didn't want to bring those terrible creatures into town so they had to destroy those gorgons sometime soon.

"We will kill you and feed your eyes to the wolves," Stheno growled from above.

Euryale let out one of her patented cries, making Percy's ears ring like crazy. Too much more of that and he would go deaf.

"Want to try something crazy?" Zoë asked, shooting arrows at a rapid-fire pace.

"How crazy is it?" he asked.

"Not that crazy."

"Then what are you waiting for?!"

Zoë nodded and dropped her weapons. Percy gave her a stupefied look. "Are you crazy? What on Gaea are you doing?"

She ignored him and waved at the gorgons. "Wait! Stop for a second!"

Euryale stopped her shrieking and gave them a cruel smile. Turning to her sister, she said, "My, my. Have these young heroes given up already? What a pity. We were going to enjoy tearing you apart as you fought, to watch your own flesh get torn apart."

Stheno pouted, thought it looked rather awkward with the fangs and the tusks. "You are right, my lovely sister. I _was_ going to enjoy watching your suffering. But alas, a feast is a feast."

"No, wait!" Zoë said, her voice not losing any of the calmness she held before. "This fighting is at a deadlock. Neither can beat the other. You evade easily and we fight strongly. We can come to a solution. If you swear to the River Styx that you will stop following us and attacking us, we will stop trying to kill you and offer you a prize for your great efforts."

"What are you doing?" Percy asked getting anxious.

"Pass me the Infinity Pouch," she whispered, trying to be a subtle as possible.

He knit his eyebrows. "I have no idea what you're up to," he whispered back, "but you'd better hope that it works."

"A prize?" said Stheno, looking intrigued. "What kind of prize?"

Zoë gave her the most convincing look of defeat Percy had ever seen. "Oh, my, anything you want. In this bag, there is the world's entire collection of raw goods and finished materials. Anything you could ever wish for is in here, but you can only take one thing out."

"_Anything_?" asked Euryale.

"It is _infinite_," she said slyly. Percy caught on to her plan, and it took all of his will-power not to grin in pride.

"What do you say, Stheno?" asked a greedy-looking Euryale. "We can grab one thing of our choice that we want. Remember what you have always wanted?"

Stheno squealed. "Oh my yes!" She gave the Infinity Pouch a hungry stare. "I've always wanted a live set of miniature babies that I can incinerate and replenish! Do you have that?"

A sudden sickening feeling poured into Percy's stomach like a flood. He and Zoë locked eyes. She wasn't doing too much better on the queasiness scale.

"And I want glory for the both of us, to be as famous as our petty sister," Euryale said dreamily. "Is that possible to get?"

"Of course," Zoë replied carefully, trying not to add some vomit with her words. "Just... find the potions."

Stheno and Euryale glanced at each other before turning to the other two. They based their fangs and for a moment, Percy thought they were going to attack them instead of promise to leave them alone, but together they spoke, "We swear by the River Styx that we will stop harassing you and will never attempt to kill either of you for the rest of eternity."

Then they each swooped down and landed in front of Zoë. Stheno reached for the bag, but Zoë pulled back, earning a glare from both of the gorgons. However, before they could speak, she said, "You have to enter the bag to find what you want. One bag cannot have so many magical abilities. You don't think what you wish for will appear for you right as soon as you stick your hand in there, do you?"

Percy was trying to refrain from laughing because that was exactly what it did.

"Well... I suppose..." Stheno trailed off.

"Feet first otherwise you will land on your head, wings or not," Zoë instructed. "And you should go together so that you can find each other and come back out instead of getting lost inside of there."

The gorgons blinked but obliged. Zoë put the pouch on the ground. The gorgons, together, were sucked into the Infinity Pouch as soon as the first foot hovered over it. Percy leaped for the pouch and shut the top, wrapping the thick string around the top four times to make sure the gorgons couldn't squeeze their way out.

"We did it!" Zoë cheered.

Percy let out a sigh of relief. "Thank Hecate that this pouch is inescapable from the inside."

"And thank Athena for giving it to us," she said.

The Infinity Pouch was another gift from Athena, this time to Zoë. It was essentially a pouch enchanted with Hecate's magic to hold an infinite amount of food and supplies so in that tiny pouch, they could hold a few years' worth of supplies... not that they needed that much. Also, nothing inside could escape, so they could place the gorgons in there without worrying that they will squeeze their way out of the little bag. Then there was the fact of summoning what they wanted. All they had to do was think about what they wanted and that would appear at the top of the pouch. For example, if they wanted some food, they just had to think about it and it would be the first thing they would touch.

Athena's first gift was to Percy was the Aegis replica that he had received all those months ago in the fight with the manticore.

In turn, that night, the two of them celebrated their victory by sacrificing food to the two goddesses, Athena and Hecate, for their victory over the gorgons.

"That was a brilliant idea you know, crazy but brilliant," Percy complimented after their sacrifice.

"Not really," Zoë shrugged. "I just had to bet that they would be stupid enough to take the bait. There were so many thing that could have gone wrong, but they did exactly what I wanted."

"And that was because you _knew_ that they were going to do what they did," he pointed out. "Brilliant."

She blushed. "I suppose so."

"Well, that only leaves two more targets for us," Percy said, poking at the dirt in the ground. "It'll be hard to defeat the next one. She's very sneaky and disguises herself quite well. I think it just might be from my father." He ate some of his dinner. "You know, it isn't so comforting being related to all of these monsters. I don't even know if my father will turn against me for what I do!"

"You think it's hard being related to monsters, do you?" Zoë scoffed. "Think about being related to Titans in a world where they fought the beings of the only other safe sanctuary in the world and then being disowned by them, only to go to the home of your family's enemy."

"That was kind of confusing."

"Well, you know what I mean!"

He gave her a smile. "Of course I do, and you know what. If the gods are too paranoid and freaked out by you being Atlas' daughter, we can just forget about trying to start the Hunters of Artemis. We'll just go on living the rest of our lives together, as hunters."

Zoë's eyes flickered with the reflection of the fire crackling in the middle of the campsite. Her facial features softened and the flickering glow that was cast upon her face every time the fire jumped seemed to make her look more beautiful than ever. "That sounds nice."

Though he was afraid to admit it to her, Percy knew he was very attracted to her, possibly even to the extent of love. He didn't want to ruin anything, though, so he kept quiet and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Then, looking up into the clouds he said, "Maybe we could earn a spot in the sky after completing feats that the gods are envious of. We could be _Adelfia Aionios_."

"That sounds a lot like eternal siblings," she noted.

"Exactly," he said quietly. "Eternal siblings forever."

"Or _Aionia Erastes_," Zoë joked.

"Eternal lovers," Percy said, both eyebrows raised.

"Eternal lovers, a tragic story where two outcasts of society come together and spend the rest of their lives loving each other until they die, neither of them having children to pass their blood on," she said dramatically.

"I didn't know you had this side to you... and for what happened to you, to joke about love like that..."

She gave him an expectant smile. "It doesn't matter, Percy, because when I'm around you... I feel comfortable enough to joke about these sorts of things. I know you well enough to know how you feel about what has happened to me. And in either case... it's time for a little bit of rest. You're first watch."

Zoë turned Percy's head to face her before she kissed him, right on the lips.

When they broke apart, she said, "Good night." She then crawled over to the tent that they had set up and hopped inside.

Meanwhile, Percy licked his lips, his head spinning after the unexpected kiss. He grinned at Zoë's actions before leaning up against a tree and watching for any approaching monsters or people.

"Good night, Zoë."

* * *

"That is disgusting," Zoë groaned. "And does she have to leave the organs she doesn't like just lying on the ground like that? And the brain... oh I'm going to be sick."

Percy didn't like it either, but he had terrifyingly killed men by cutting their necks open. His defense to not purifying himself was that he was defending himself against their attacks, not really attacking them.

Lamia's habit of devouring children and leaving the organs behind on the ground was pretty nasty. The fact that she was his sister didn't make him feel any more comfortable. Then again, she had been a consort of Zeus and was cursed by Hera. Hera tended to get jealous of Zeus' affairs, and for good reason. He guessed that the same would go to his own father, but considering he was one of those children... he didn't really want to admit it.

"Then she leaves the child right where she kills it," Zoë exclaimed. She turned to Percy. "Someone is bound to find this one. She's right in the farm."

"I feel bad for those harvesting these crops," Percy said.

"We're on the right track though, right?" she asked hopefully. "We know where to find Lamia. Wherever there are children."

"Eudocia!" a female voice rang over the empty fields. "Eudocia, where did you run off to?"

Percy's eyes widened and he gently pulled Zoë into the trees behind the farm. They each took their own tree and hid behind it. Zoë and Percy made eye contact, and braced themselves for the outcry of, what they guessed to be, the mother.

Her scream was a lot worse than Percy would have ever guessed. It seemed to howl in the dark night sky and echo across cliffs that weren't there. "Eudocia!" came the cry after the scream.

Zoë broke off the eye contact and grimaced, her face scrunched up in great sadness. Percy listened as there grew more shouts from further away. He could heard the shouts getting closer, the plants and vegetables growing on the farm being trampled on.

"My daughter!" cried a man. "My beautiful little daughter." There was the unmistakable sob, the continued racking of the man's body.

Percy crouched down and peered from around the tree. The woman was strewn across the girl's remains, looking almost as if she would kiss her daughter's brains. The man was on his knees, staring at the ground as if his entire life had been ripped away from him. Percy couldn't bear to watch the sad couple anymore and pulled Zoë further into the forest to loop around back to Athens.

It wasn't long before they reached the outskirts of Athens, watchtowers standing before them.

"Did you see the parents?" asked a dejected-looking Zoë. "They looked and sounded so heartbroken."

"I know," he replied. "That's why we didn't stay there any longer."

She just nodded and blinked hard a few times.

Percy led her up to the watchtowers where a guard stepped in front of them to intercept their path. It was expected, considering they were fighting Sparta at the moment. The Athenians had to make sure that they weren't spies coming in to send information back to the Spartans.

"Who are you and what is your business in Athens?" the guard asked.

"My name is Perseus and I am a friend of King Theseus," he replied. "I was just doing an errand for him."

The guard gave him a grin. He turned to his comrades up in the towers and shouted, "He thinks Theseus is still king! Isn't he a funny little boy." The guard turned back to Percy. "Theseus hasn't been king of Athens for two years. When he left for that Calydonian Boar Hunt, Menestheus became king. He's a bit young, only nine, but he is the rightful king of Athens."

Percy and Zoë shared a surprised look. "What about when Theseus came back?"

"Menestheus exiled him," the guard said simply. "Now leave. What you said was obviously a lie."

"Wait!" Percy said. He had one more trick up his sleeve. "Remember that old abandoned farm that may or may not have been re-inhabited since the last family that lived there?"

"Eleven and a half years ago?" the guard asked. "That farm is haunted. The last family there was whisked away in a breeze of nothing. The mother was never found, the father never lived there and the child was rumored to have been murdered as he tried to escape."

His face fell. "The—the mother's body was never found?" He heard his voice crack a little. "She was just... gone?"

"Yup."

He felt it often, but every single time it felt as though it was a new experience that flooded him with warmth and comfort. Zoë's hand slipped into his and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

That little squeeze gave him the courage to move past the awful fact that after all of these years, no one had ever found his mother's body. He squeezed her hand back in an act of thanks. Exhaling deeply, Percy said, "I am that little boy who ran away. The rumor was wrong. I wasn't murdered."

The eyes nearly jumped out of the guard's head. "You're the boy who lived in that farm? People have always said that their family worked for the king twice as hard as the others. The farm their looks so much bigger than the others, don't you know. And you're the descendant?"

"Yes, I am," said Percy proudly. "And my friend is with me."

"Where have you been after all these years?" questioned the guard.

"The Argonauts," he replied.

"You mean Jason's crew?"

"Pretty much," he said sourly.

"Let him in Kyros," another guard said from above. "And the girl. They'll be fine."

The guard named Kyros stepped aside and allowed them to pass. Percy nodded his thanks and walked through with Zoë.

"So, where are we going to stay?" Zoë asked when they were out of earshot of the watchtower guards. "I assume we're going to get some more rest. We know Lamia is going to prey mostly in cities and attack children who wander off."

"A trap," Percy replied. "That's where we're headed."

She gave him a confused look in which he returned with a mysterious grin. She scowled and stepped on his foot. He grimaced but had gotten used to it. Her stomps hadn't hurt as much as it had the very first time.

Percy led Zoë back towards his old home, the farm that had been abandoned so many years earlier. He felt a strong sense of nostalgia which Zoë seemed to notice.

"This is around where you live, isn't it," she said. It wasn't a guess, but a fact she had stated. She knew him well enough to tell when something was right, wrong or a mix in the middle.

He nodded and smiled sadly as they turned in the dirt path. The house was now visible, the moon and stars gleaming so much brighter here than anywhere else. Percy let go of Zoë hand and offered his arm, in which she gladly accepted. Their arms linked at the elbow and Zoë leaned against Percy as they walked, her head resting on his shoulder.

"How are we going to turn this into a trap?" she asked.

"We'll set it up tomorrow," Percy said. "For now, just get some rest."

Zoë nodded and when they went inside of the old abandoned building, they immediately fell asleep. At least, Zoë did. Percy, on his part, lied about setting up the trap tomorrow. He knew that someone had to be the bait for Lamia, and it wouldn't work for Percy because he didn't look like a child. Well, neither did Zoë, but under the blankets her growing womanly features wouldn't be so prominent and her soft skin would make Lamia think she was a child.

He snuck out of the house and posted a sign on the front door saying "Children's Party," before writing more replicas of those and throwing them along the path around the house. If Lamia was in the area, she would undoubtedly come to the house to find the children.

Then, Percy hid in the corner of the room, careful not to doze off to wait for Lamia to arrive.

It was a long wait, the night coming up on its final stretch before day, before Lamia arrived. He heard the creak of the door, which alerted him greatly. The only window in the bedroom was on the wall that Percy had his back to. He would be more in the shadows than Zoë.

He also saw Zoë stir, her ears hearing the creak of the door. But Zoë wasn't fully conscious or awake, which made the plan Percy made perfect.

"What do we have here," an insane sounding voice said from the doorway. A beautiful looking woman slowly approached the foot of the bed. "Is this a child? My, my, my. A poor young thing to die at my bite, but I must devour children. Their blood tastes so good!"

Percy slowly got up, making sure not to make a sound. He crept up from behind the monster, just as she made her way to the head of the bed, where Zoë was drowsily waking up.

Then, just as Lamia got to the head, Zoë's eyes snapped open and she screamed. Before Lamia could pounce on Zoë, biting her neck, Percy grabbed Lamia from behind and drove Anaklusmos into the beast's back.

With a wail and a hiss, Lamia dropped to the ground, dead.

Ignoring Zoë's look of horror and relief, he bent down and ripped a fanged tooth out of Lamia's mouth. Then he took out the Infinity Pouch and threw the tooth in. One thing to mention, the bag also froze everything inside of it so the gorgons couldn't move from inside.

"What the Hades?" Zoë managed after a stunned silence. "Lamia just... and you just killed her. Took her tooth—"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but it had to be that way," he said. "I wanted to kill Lamia in the quickest way possible, so I used you as bait."

She slapped him. "You're a terrible person."

"I know and I'm sorry." He clutched his cheek and checked his mouth for any blood. There was none. "You have every right to be mad at me, but I turn seventeen in two months. We need to get to Olympus quickly. I don't want to have to work any further. The next monsters are Agrius and Oreius."

Zoë looked really angry, which Percy didn't blame her for, but nodded. "Well, I suppose it worked, so I can't blame you."

"You have every right to blame me," he said. "What I did was very selfish and I disregarded your feelings. If that doesn't earn me a ticket onto the 'Terrible Males' train, I don't know what will."

Zoë sighed. "Whatever. Let's just go. I got my rest."

Quickly, she walked out of the door, not staying to hear anything else Percy had to say. It was a conversation Zoë really wanted to evade. He guessed that this was her payback. Just by ignoring Percy, she would make him feel bad... and it was working.

In either case, he followed her out to head onto their next adventure.

Slowly, they became closer and closer again, Zoë forgiving him for his reckless actions. He even gave Zoë the honors of slaying the next monsters they faced, Agrius and Oreius. It was fun, though it didn't differ much from the other murders of the monsters. It was basically just fight until the monsters died.

The two of them were ready to go to Olympus, ready to start what would become a revolutionary group of teenage girls; but they also knew that their final journeys together were coming to a close.

And that all started with a prayer and a sacrifice to the gods.

* * *

**Hey everyone,**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter. Apologies for the rush at the end.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	22. The Everlasting Hero

**Hey everyone,**

**I'd like to announce that although some myths contradict with others, I may need to change the order in which historical myths took place to be able to fit the characters I want into the story.**

**Although the setting is ancient Greece, I will make the characters talk in English and informally, as if they were regular boys/men or girls/women in the modern world. It makes writing this a little bit easier, and the characters more relaxed than if they talked formally all the time.**

**I'm starting a bad habit of rushing a part, and then outstretching another part, before adding in a whole bunch of subplots that makes chapters so utterly long, confusing and messed up. But it works, apparently. Here's the next chapter that I have laboured over for a couple days. And for those asking how I can update so quickly... it's summer. Once fall starts and school comes into effect, I will update much less. Also, to regard those who read "Into the Darkness," I am not stopping, just taking my time. I don't want to turn that story into a blubbery mess by making it almost exactly like "The Battle of the Labyrinth."**

**_Just a note about copying and pasting author's notes...in the past, I have had readers who did not read the author's notes until later chapters. I just want to keep reminding. If you have already seen the author's notes, you can just skip them and go straight to reading the story. Thank you._**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**

* * *

**Chapter 21**

**The Everlasting Hero**

Mount Olympus, on the mortal side, looked dangerous. Sharp rocks and steep drop-offs and cliffs marred what could have been a nice triangular shaped mountain, sending a message of warning to anyone who tried to head up to Olympus.

On their way, a couple sons of Dionysus had told them that there was once an arrogant hero who believed he could make his way up onto Mount Olympus riding his steed, Pegasus. The gods sent a small creature to have Pegasus irritated to throw the hero, Bellerophon, off his back. The hero hadn't been found since he left to go to Olympus.

Percy knew that heading up to Olympus would be dangerous, so he purposefully saved the fruits of his labours for this moment, at least, Lamia's teeth and the bear-twins' heads. The gorgons wouldn't be so easy to sacrifice considering they were immortal.

Zoë peered up the side of the mountain up to the very top, where clouds swirled and an obvious layer of Mist floated. "Where is the entrance to Olympus? How are we supposed to get up there once we do the sacrifice?"

Percy hadn't really thought about that. Not many mortals knew of the entrance of Olympus, simply because those who had been up there had all tested the gods' fury... and all of them had tasted it. Percy wasn't willing to take the risk of travelling into the Underworld.

But he was fairly confident that the gods would answer to their sacrifice and prayers.

"Just set up the flame and it will show our path, whether we can enter or not," he told her. "Grab the sticks from the pouch. I have the flint and steel."

"All right." Zoë reached for the Infinity Pouch that she carried on her waist belt. She opened it up, stuck her arm in and grabbed the sticks out of it. For some strange reason, they thought sticks would be useful to keep with them. They had a good hunch, too. The forests were quite a distance away, and Percy wanted to get up onto Olympus as quick as possible.

"Grab some stones to act as a pit as well, and pass over the pouch," Percy ordered.

Zoë nodded and went over to pick up some rocks so that the fire wouldn't blaze out of control. As she did that, Percy took the Infinity Pouch and reached inside. He pulled out Lamia's tooth, and placed it on the rocky, snowy ground. There was no worry about losing the tooth because after years of eating children, they were yellow and stained with red. After that, he took out the heads of Agrius and Oreius, the spoils of war that they had received from beheading the bear-twins. He placed them next to Lamia's tooth. He wished he still had part of the manticore's tail, but it had been sucked up by the flames entirely. Percy still hoped that the gods would still remember that as a part of their sacrifice to get to Olympus.

Zoë came back with some rocks and circled them up in a pit-like formation. Then, together, they set up the sticks in a mountain-like shape before they brought out the big log that was hiding in the Infinity Pouch. It was pretty long, long enough to be taller than Zoë if she were standing on top of Percy's shoulders.

Then, Percy took out Anaklusmos and took advantage of its half-bronze half-celestial bronze qualities. He chopped the log in half before cutting the halves into half creating quarters. Then, he carefully slid one of the four into the bottom, under the thinner sticks. Taking another one of the quarters, he split it into three parts and placed it over top of the sticks, creating another layer for the ship to eat off of.

"That looks good enough," Zoë said, "though it won't last for long. Do you have the kindling?"

"Yes." Percy reached into his own personal bag and pulled out his papyrus scroll that he had held onto so dearly for years. It had all of his adventures with the Argonauts written on it, along with some of the adventures after, including the Calydonian Boar Hunt and a few days with Zoë.

"Wait, isn't that the scroll you wrote your adventures in?" Zoë asked, recognizing the item. "Why are you using that as kindling? If you preserve that, your family can pass it on through generations and you will be known across Greece as the hero of the Argonauts!"

"That's exactly why I'm sacrificing it," he replied. "I don't want all that glory. What's the use? My name will be up there with Jason and Heracles and Bellerophon, basically all of the bad heroes. Only Perseus and Theseus are decent ones to be amongst. Plus, this is basically sacrificing my future glory to the gods."

"You don't want glory?" she asked seemingly not surprised. "Well that's a first for a man."

"I only want those who really know me to pass on the true stories," Percy said. "Although, I hope you don't praise me too much in front of the future Hunters and Lady Artemis. That wouldn't bode too well with them."

Zoë laughed, in turn, causing Percy to laugh along with her. When they calmed down, Zoë looked at Percy apologetically. "Listen, about that kiss that was so long ago—"

"Forget about it," he said waving her off. "It's not important. We've both moved on from that, right? Admittedly, I did fall in love with you for a little period of time, but in the end, we're just really close friends."

She gave him a relaxed smile. "Exactly what I was thinking. I loved you too, but... for a period of time, I wanted us to actually stop with the 'going to Olympus' thing and just live our lives out together. You could almost say, I was doing the exact same thing I did with Heracles, except this time, I know who I'm falling for. But it was never really there, was it? That Aphrodite love."

"You mean marriage love, or affair-like love," he said.

"Yeah... yeah, like that. I don't know. It felt to me like we loved each other more like siblings, don't you think? Or really close friends. Do you know what I am talking about?"

He nodded, the barest smile on his face. "Of course I do. You are like a sister to me. It seems as though that's why I want you to become the first Hunter, so that no man can ever touch you again. Besides, you've seen enough of the ways of men to know that there aren't many like me out there, and that there are still few who are like Theseus or Perseus."

Zoë and Percy stared at each other, looking into the other's eyes, reading the messages they were sending through the eyes. Then they hugged tightly, enjoying the brother-sister moment as if it was going to be their last.

They broke apart after what was, to them, seconds, and looked back up at the mountain.

"Well, it looks like this is the end of our long journey," Zoë said.

"Four years since the _Argo_ docked in Iolcus," Percy said.

Their eyes met again before Zoë nodded at Percy. "Let's do this," she said.

Percy turned around and began tearing up his papyrus scroll. The dry material was scattered all around the circular pit that the two had made before Percy began using the flint and steel. Sparks flew from the clashing minerals as he smashed and scraped them together. It didn't take long for the papyrus to ignite. Zoë threw more papyrus into the pit as the wood began setting aflame.

The two continued growing the fire until they could throw the logs it and keep it going without it dying too much. Zoë fed the fire some of the air that it needed to feed off of, and Percy took the job of throwing more papyrus in to feed the fire.

Once the logs started being eaten up, Percy took the heads of the bear-twins and the tooth of Lamia, and brought them to the fire.

"For the gods and goddesses of Olympus," he muttered. "This fire, a sacrificial flame to the gods, in the form of a hearth that the virgin goddess Hestia tends to. We sacrifice four very special items."

Percy grabbed one of the heads of the bear-twins and placed it in the fire. Then, he muttered an offering to the gods. Zoë also muttered a short incantation in an ancient language Percy couldn't understand. Instead of burning into ashes like anything normally would in a fire, the head glowed golden before slowly disappearing into the air.

Percy took that as a sign that the gods accepted the gift. He took the other twin's head and placed it in the fire. "And the other twin, to complete the duo."

Like with the first head, the second dissipated into the air with a shimmering of golden light. Next, Percy brought the tooth of Lamia to the fire and dropped it in. A soft hiss emitted from the fire, and for a second, Percy thought the gods weren't going to accept the gift. When he looked closer, he saw that the tooth was melting into the fire. Before he could do anything, though, the melting tooth dripped into the heart of the fire, making the flames turn gold.

Percy glanced at Zoë, who was staring at the fire in awe. He turned back to the fire and went on one knee. "And I give you my glory, to sacrifice so we can come atop Olympus."

The fire was suddenly swept away in the wind and its roar became a distant echo in the back of Percy and Zoë's minds. When they looked back at where the fire used to be, nothing was there but rocks. Zoë looked at Percy expectantly, but he didn't have an answer. Nothing happened.

"It didn't work?" she asked him after seeing nothing happening.

Percy looked up at the clouds hopefully, hoping that something would happen. Just as he was about to give up hope, the side of the mountain suddenly shook and at the foot, a perfect hole opened up in its side.

Percy quickly grabbed all of his things and rushed ahead, calling for Zoë to follow him.

In the side of the mountain opened a tunnel that led, well, into the mountain. Further in the tunnel, torches magically lit so that they could see where they were going. Just as Zoë, who was following Percy, stepped into the tunnel, the rocks suddenly shifted and grew back to fill the hole that had been magically created after the pair's sacrifices.

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Zoë asked after the wall had shut behind them.

Percy swallowed. He hated tight and cramped spaces. "You know that I like being in the open and being free. But this is the only way we can go Zoë, otherwise we're stuck out there. I am certain that being a Hunter will benefit you."

They continued further into the tunnel until they reached a dead end.

"Great, there's nowhere to go," Zoë muttered. "Now we're trapped in here."

Just as she said that, a carving in the wall began glowing an electric blue. It was a letter, a very simple letter that Percy had learned so long ago.

"Omicron," he said. "Omicron for... Olympus! Grab my hand Zoë."

"Wait, what?"

He didn't want for her. He grabbed her hand and tapped the omicron engraving in the wall. It flashed a brighter blue before everything went dark.

At first, Percy thought he was dead as he was in darkness... but he could still feel. There was a faint wind blowing at his face, making him feel like he was being sucked up onto Olympus, even though he couldn't feel his own body.

Then, with a blinding flash, Percy fell forward, landing on top of a fluffy white cloud. He heard Zoë groan next to him and he followed suit. Slowly, he pushed himself up and blinked. He stretched out and helped Zoë up.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Zoë stretched her neck before looking out behind Percy, beyond their little cloud. And her jaw dropped.

"What?" he asked.

All she did was point. Percy turned to see what she was pointing at and his brain melted.

The gates of Olympus opened up to them and the most magnificent looking city came into their view. From the top of the clouds rose the decapitated peak of a mountain, its summit covered with snow. Clinging to the mountainside were dozens of multileveled palaces—a city of mansions—all with white-columned porticos, gilded terraces, and bronze braziers glowing with a thousand fires. Roads wound crazily up to the peak, where the largest palace gleamed against the snow. Precariously perched gardens bloomed with olive trees and rose bushes. They could make out an open-air market filled with colorful tents, a stone amphitheater built on one side of the mountain, a hippodrome and a coliseum on the other.

"Wow," Percy breathed.

Zoë seemed to finally catch her breath and was able to speak. "It's beautiful."

Their trip through Olympus was hazy, as if they were in a dream. As they passed through, hawkers in the market offered to sell them ambrosia-on-a-stick, and a new shield, and a genuine glitter-weave replica of the Golden Fleece. The nine muses were tuning their instruments for a concert in the park while a small crowd gathered—satyrs and naiads and a bunch of good-looking teenagers who might've been minor gods and goddesses.

As Percy and Zoë passed, all of them turned to watch, whispering amongst themselves.

Steps led up to a central courtyard. Past that, the throne room.

It wasn't really a _room_, so to say, but it was a room for the normal inhabitants of the place. That was mainly because the room was made for fifteen-foot tall gods and goddesses. An enormous fire crackled in the central hearth pit. Twelve thrones built for the massive figures were arranged in an arced formation, each of them with their own special decorations and designs.

And in every single one of them sat an Olympian god or goddess.

Percy could almost feel the powerful auras radiating off the immortal beings smashing into each other, making him wonder if their combined power could destroy the entire city of Olympus.

He and Zoë made their way to the foot of the head throne and both went on one knee. "Lord Zeus," the two seventeen-year-olds said.

It was silent for a moment before Zeus' voice rang across the room. "Stand up and state your purpose here."

Percy stood up and looked around at all of the gods and goddesses in the room. He felt a scary sense of nervousness rise up in his gut. "I am here to offer and suggest something for Lady Artemis."

"Offer and suggest something for me?" questioned the goddess.

He turned and met Artemis' eyes. He didn't hold it for long. The goddess was giving him a stern look that made every fiber in his body feel like getting up and running away. Her bright silvery yellow eyes pierced him as if they were spears trying to kill him, and her auburn hair was tied up in a ponytail, as if she were ready to go hunting.

"Yes, Lady A-Artemis," he stuttered. "Ever since I heard of stories and tales of hunters, I have been wondering about why there are male hunters if you... aren't as welcoming to males as you are females? I asked an old friend, Atalanta, years ago about this and she said that a lot of women in this world are not chaste and usually follow Aphrodite's standards of love."

"They choose wisely," Aphrodite said.

"Wisdom and love do not belong together, Aphrodite," Athena said in a cold voice. "Then again, it is unlike you to _know _such things..."

"And it is _not_ a wise choice," Artemis growled. "Go on, boy."

"Atalanta took an oath of virginity to you, right Lady Artemis?" Percy asked.

The goddess nodded. "Until she broke that and mated with a man in one of Zeus' temple this previous year. They are now lions, never to mate again, a suitable punishment for breaking her oath to me."

"And for having sex in my temple!" Zeus grumbled.

Percy and Zoë shared a look. They hadn't known that had happened to their former friend. Uncomfortably, he said, "Yeah, suitable punishment. But what I got from that conversation with Atalanta was that if I could find a girl who was willing to give up sexual life and become an eternal Hunter of Artemis, I could come to Olympus to suggest that to that certain goddess."

"Hunters of Artemis?" Zeus asked. His rainy blue eyes glowered into Percy and seemed to flicker with lightning.

"Yes, eternal maidens who vow to turn their back on men and forever live in maidenhood, or if they have been raped, live hating men for the rest of their lives," Percy answered. This seemed to spark an interest in all of the immortal beings in the room, and his confidence grew. "But the girls whom Artemis invites to join the Hunt do not have to, and no punishment can be granted on them. For example, if a woman who was betrayed by a man and left alone on a deserted island, she can choose, not to join the Hunt, but to marry an Olympian god." He gestured his hand to Dionysus.

"But why would _you _do that?" Apollo asked. "You're a man? Why hating on the men of the world?"

"Because I have seen what a man can do to a woman," he replied. He looked around to every single god and goddess in the room and said, "May you all swear on the River Styx that you will not cast me or Zoë down from Olympus no matter what we say next, no matter how outrageous it sounds, no matter who we are?"

"Swear on the River Styx?" Hephaestus grunted. "You don't trust us?"

"To be brutally honest, no."

Hephaestus' face morphed into one of thinking, which pretty much made Percy want to puke. It wasn't to say Percy hated ugly people... but Hephaestus' appearance was just too much for him.

The first to agree to the terms and conditions was Percy's father, Poseidon. His green eyes glimmered mysteriously as he said, "I swear to the River Styx that I will not harm either of you two in _any_ such way while you tell us what you need to tell us."

Athena was next, her grey eyes swirling darkly. Then Artemis, and then Dionysus, and so on until Zeus finally agreed to swear to the Styx. Then, Percy hit them with a damaging uppercut.

"Zoë is a daughter of Atlas and was formerly a Hesperide," he said.

"What?!" exploded Zeus. "You bring a child of Atlas to Olympus! How dare you!"

"Calm down, brother," Poseidon said soothingly. "I am sure Perseus has a reason for bringing her to Olympus."

Artemis gave Zoë a curious stare. "What do you mean, _formerly a Hesperide_?" she asked Percy, not taking her eyes off of Zoë.

"She was abandoned by her family when she helped a male hero, a hero that promised to marry her before forcing her into sex and raping her," Percy said. "A hero that received her help but gave her no credit when leaving with his prize."

Artemis' eyes flashed dangerously. "Who is this so called _hero_?" she spat.

"He's dead."

She blinked, her anger temporarily disappearing. "He's dead?"

"To mortal eyes," Percy finished. "I spoke to Lord Hades and Lord Poseidon through sacrificing meals, and they have told me that the hero had been resurrected, had been risen from the dead."

Artemis' anger returned. The rest of the gods and goddesses eyed Percy, anxious to hear the hero that had disgraced Zoë to her family and caused her to become (or at least, hopefully, will become) the first Hunter of Artemis.

Zeus growled. "Hades is not doing his job properly? Letting souls escape back into the over world?"

"No, have you not listened to what I said?" Percy snapped, not believing the Olympians could be so dense. "Which famous hero has recently gotten raised to godhood by completing famous tasks, one that including stealing the golden apples from the Garden of the Hesperides?"

"Heracles," Athena answered immediately.

Immediately, an argument broke out between Hera, Zeus and Artemis. The rest of the gods just leaned back in their thrones absorbing the information.

For a while, wife and daughter attacked husband and father, respectively, shouting threats at him and telling the King of the Gods off.

"Silence!" Zeus shouted at last, silencing the two women, both returning to their thrones with harsh glares directed at him. "Heracles did that to her?"

"Yes, Lord Zeus."

He grunted, obviously disgruntled by his own son's doings. "Hermes, go send Heracles to his own pillars. He will have a wonderful time guarding the edge of the known world."

"Yes, father." Hermes stood up and bowed before turning to the two demigods (rather demigod and demi-titan) and saying, "Avert your eyes."

The two did as he said as the messenger god flashed out of the throne room. He was back merely ten seconds later, walking back to his throne and sitting in a relaxed position. "The favor is done, father."

Percy was impressed that Zeus actually punished Heracles for his wrongdoings, but he figured it was just to make Hera and Artemis satisfied. It wouldn't last long.

Artemis, who was still glaring at her father, spoke up right after Hermes finished. "So, you say Hunters of Artemis are just any women who want to join the Hunt who have had their hearts broken by insolent men like my brother? Is that it, just Hunters that I will get close to for them just to die off?"

"Hey!" Apollo exclaimed. "I take offense to that!"

"Not exactly, Lady Artemis. Like I said earlier about eternal maidenhood, the Hunters of Artemis will be immortal _but_—" He added the 'but' before anyone could say anything. "—not minor-god-like immortal. They will be able to live forever; however, they can fall in combat in a brave fashion. I assume Aphrodite is going to make it so that you don't get too many recruits, therefore, it would be great for you to get accustomed to long-time friends and family."

"And Zoë will be the first."

He nodded earnestly.

Artemis turned to Zeus and asked, "May I speak with you, father?"

He nodded and listened when Artemis made her way over. As they deliberated, Percy turned to Zoë. "Are you going to be okay? This will be perfect for you?"

"Exactly the way you said it, Percy. Eternal maidenhood as a seventeen year old. I figure I'll probably be the oldest by a long shot."

"Yeah. And have a good time with the Hunters, Zoë. I can't believe this is my final goodbye. There is no one else left in my life."

Zoë's expression softened. "Listen, Percy. If necessary, you can always find a way to communicate to me. I'll even talk to Artemis about seeing if she knows a way to communicate that we don't."

"I'm not so sure about that," he said warily. "Artemis isn't too fond of men and last time I checked, I am one."

"Then I'll remind her that you came up with this idea," she said with a ton of confidence. "I'm never going to forget what you've done for me."

He smiled, nodding at her determination. He clapped her shoulder and patted it a couple of times. "I would say that for you, and then some."

She smiled back.

"Zoë, daughter of Atlas," Artemis announced. "Would you please step forward?"

Zoë gave Percy another grateful grin before turning to Artemis and approaching the goddess. Artemis glanced at Percy and thought he saw a flicker of thanks in her eyes before they flickered back to the normal stern glare that she wore.

"Repeat this after me," the goddess told Zoë. "_I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis._"

"I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis," the girl repeated.

"I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt."

Zoë repeated the lines. Artemis gave her a smile, and the hearth behind Percy brightened, casting a silver glow over the room. An image of a young girl flickered in the hearth and gave Percy a wink. He thought he was imagining things when he saw that she had flames for eyes, but realized that it was Hestia, goddess of the hearth and home.

"The oath is binding," Artemis announced. "Welcome the very first Hunter of Artemis, Zoë Nightshade."

"Nightshade?" Zoë asked, her eyes widened. "A second name?"

"Let my Huntress' name ring out, her second name to ensure that people know who she is," the goddess said. She gave Zoë a kind look. "Come, take a seat next to my throne. And let us change your clothing a bit."

In a quick flash, Zoë's clothing turned from white to silver.

As Artemis and Zoë sat down, an very tense silence filled the room. Many were staring directly at Percy, making him feel like they wanted something from him. He glanced at his father, who wasn't looking at him at all. He was glaring at somebody across the room, seemingly having a stare-down. Percy followed his father's line of sight when he saw that Athena was on the other end, glaring just as hard right back.

Percy ignored the two and awkwardly said, "Well, I guess I will be going now. I did what I came here for. Zoë will finally have a happy home."

Zoë looked like pretty much the only one (aside from Athena and Poseidon, who seemed to be having a personal argument) who wasn't surprised or curious to his request to leave.

"You want to leave?" stuttered a shocked Zeus. "Without anything?"

He gave the King of the Gods a confused look. "What do you mean, _without anything_."

"He means that the Olympians are expecting you to ask them for something, you idiot," Zoë said rolling her eyes. "Don't forget about what we've experienced."

Percy stared back up at Zeus, who kind of looked relieved that he didn't have to grant an incompetent demigod who wasn't his son a gift. In a daring manner, he gave the god a brave laugh. "Why would you expect me to ask you for something? Didn't I already sacrifice my glory to you?"

"And sacrifice his glory he did," spoke a voice from the hearth. The girl that Percy had just seen in the hearth stepped out as calm as ever, as if the flames didn't affect her. Her voice was calming, much different than the voices of the other gods and goddesses. "I have seen it here. The boy speaks the truth. He could have become a hero of the Argonauts, for the ones close to truly accept Percy have all perished or have disappeared from the mortal world, and their tales could not be told to future generations. The journal he wrote could have made him famous, brother."

"He sacrificed glory?" a stunned Artemis asked.

Dionysus shook his head in disbelief. "To wonder that I thought you wanted something when you summoned me to take Ariadne. That was just out of your heart, wasn't it."

"Of course, though Theseus resents it now, Ariadne didn't deserve being left alone and I knew that someone had to help," Percy said. "I just called for an Olympian, hoping someone would answer the call. Zoë, too. You came and we gave her to you in hopes you would make her eternally happy."

"Did you offer her the idea of the Hunt?" Artemis asked.

"She rejected, my lady," Zoë said politely. "She continued calling out for Theseus."

Ares grunted. "Glory is for the brave. The cowards don't get anything."

"Because you totally know that," Hephaestus growled. "You're a coward yourself. A tiny little cut in battle and you go home crying for Mommy. I thought you're supposed to be the god of war, not the god of pansies."

The god of war stood up from his throne and pointed an angry finger at him. "At least I wasn't thrown down a mountain because I look hideous. And I so good-looking that I won over the most beautiful woman in the world."

"She only likes you because you _seem_ confident," the god of the forges retaliated. "You look like a chicken run over with stupid."

"That's a stupid insult."

"You're a stupid god."

"Says the one with no life."

"Least I actually _help_ people."

"I help people!"

"By fighting them and killing them... oh wait, you don't win because you're too cocky and too—"

"Why don't both of you _shut up_ so we can get this meeting _over with_?" Hera screamed. "Both of you are ugly, stupid, cowardly disgraces!"

The two of them sent glares at their mother before slouching back down in their thrones. Aphrodite hesitantly patted Hephaestus' shoulder before looking over at Ares with complete pity. Percy just stood there, watching the scene unfold before Hera suddenly came in and folded it back up.

"I think we should give the lovely little boy a gift," Aphrodite said, still looking at Ares. "He's done so much that I think it would be selfish of us to not give him anything at all."

Athena, who had stopped mind-arguing with Percy's father, curled her lip in distaste. "I never want to agree with this nut job ever again, but he deserves at least something."

"And what makes you want to give my son _something_?" asked Poseidon.

"In case you haven't noticed, I have watched over what he has done and I know that he has done good things," she said. "A couple of bad things, but mostly good things."

Zoë looked up at Artemis from her spot next to the goddess. "Percy deserves something. _He_ was the one that rescued me from my father's mountain and _he_ is the true creator of the Hunters of Artemis. He did give you the idea, even if you obviously should have thought of it first."

Artemis frowned but agreed, though somewhat reluctantly, that Percy deserved a small gift.

When the rest of the gods and goddesses agreed that Percy deserved a gift, after much discussion, deliberation, arguing and persuasion, the son of Poseidon grinned. "Okay, fine. I'll have one gift. Can you all give me a good meal to eat so I can get on my way?"

Zeus gave Percy a withering glare. "You stop playing with us, son of Poseidon. I should cast you down from Olympus for being so impudent. Thinking you can come into _my_ palace and jokingly ask us for food?"

Demeter frowned. It was the first time Percy really paid attention to the goddess. She had wavy black hair and brown eyes, like the color of fertile soil. She was a much more earthy goddess, dried grass braided in her hair. "The boy looks rather skinny for a hero. He ought to eat something. He may not be lying." The goddess gave him a look. "Would you like some bread?"

Percy, surprised that one of the Olympians was actually offering him food, graciously accepted. "Anything, Lady Demeter."

Out of thin air, the goddess of the harvest summoned some bread before getting up and handing it over to Percy. He began eating, definitely hungry from the long journey. Zoë looked jealous that he had gotten some food, giving him a lengthy glare. He gave her a sheepish smile in return.

Hera, who was looking rather impatient, said, "This boy helped Jason on his quest for the Argonauts. I wonder what it would have been like had the boy not gone on the quest. Along with that, he has also hunted for years for the bear-twins, Agrius and Oreius, who were created by a dispute between Aphrodite and Artemis; the beast Lamia, who devours children; the manticore, a forgotten creature of the far east; and the gorgons."

"The gorgons?" Zeus asked. "What gorgons? He never gave us any gorgons."

The reminder bell went off in Percy's head. The gorgons were still inside the Infinity Pouch, and Percy had completely forgotten about it. He took the Infinity Pouch out and knelt at Zeus' feet. All eyes were trained on the bag. "I forgot, Lord Zeus. I also sacrifice the gorgons to you. They are Medusa's sisters, the immortal ones. Quite stupid those ones are, but it was easier than we expected. It turns out, Athena didn't turn them all into murderous beasts who turned their prey into stone. That was just Medusa. The other two are quite feisty and might be a little mad at Zoë and I for our little trick."

"You caught the immortal gorgons?" asked an astonished Poseidon.

"It was all Zoë's idea, of how to catch it. All I did was stand there like a stupid oaf and watched as she executed the plan perfectly. I'm quite glad the beasts are stupid."

Zeus picked up the pouch as if it were a tiny bead. He opened it and hovered his hand over it. The two gorgons came flying out and hit the god's hand with a loud _smack_!

Zeus squeezed the gorgons in his fist as they writhed around.

"You'll pay for this, girl!" Euryale shrieked. "We'll have our revenge."

Stheno, however, was glaring at Athena. "And for you. For turning _us_ into this when it was our sister. You will regret turning us into these horrible creatures. You will pay for what you have done, goddess of wisdom."

Athena glared back with a cold, harsh stare. "Please deliberate with the rest of council about Percy's reward for doing a hero's duty without meaning for it to be heroic while I speak with Percy about a personal matter. I am sure you already know my answer. And shut those gorgons up, will you?"

Before Zeus could utter a word, Athena stood up from her throne, shimmered down into a regular sized human before leading Percy out of the throne room and into the courtyard.

Percy, who had no idea what was going on, followed reluctantly.

Athena, in her human size, was shorter than Percy, yet she held the same demeanor as she did in godly size: bold, prideful and wise.

"I assume you will want to know why I have decided to speak to you out here instead of in front of the council," she said briefly.

"Well, yeah, pretty much."

"Remember that dream you had a long time ago, about someone coming to your mortal ancestor's house holding a baby, a woman, correct?"

He blinked and nodded.

Athena snapped her fingers and her appearance suddenly changed. Now, a brown cloak grew around her, covering her head and shoulders and torso. Her face became engulfed by a dark shadow. Then, a roll of blankets grew in her arms until it looked like she was holding a baby.

It took a while for Percy to realize what she was showing him. "You're the woman. You're my ancestor, my great-great-great-great-great-great—"

"A certain amount of great's grandmother, yes," Athena replied, snapping her fingers once again. She morphed back into her normal self, long white dress with an uncovered and proud face. "You need not search for your ancestors in an impossible journey. No one will be able to lead you to me, as your great-grandfather never told anyone of my true identity."

"But..." Percy focused hard to remember the dream. "He said you two never—"

"Eloped? Quite right. I have not broken my oath of virginity, instead created a child out of my pure thoughts. It is what you would call a brain-child."

Percy soaked in the information. "So what you're trying to say is that... you had a brain-child with my mortal ancestor and that I'm a descendant of a goddess _as well_ as the child of a god?"

"Precisely."

He sat there for a moment, collecting his thoughts. He felt as though his mind and just been blown into a million pieces. It was an outrageous thought, to be a descendant of a goddess _and_ a child of another god at the same time. Yet he knew it was true, not because Athena said it... but in a different way, as if he had always known it.

Athena sighed. "That was easier than I thought it would be. Come. Let us see what the Council has decided."

As they arrived back into the throne room, there was dead silence inside, as if everything and everyone had frozen. All of them were staring at Percy and Athena, waiting for the pair to return. Athena, whose calm look was still strong, acted as if she'd done nothing but threaten him. He, on the other hand, looked completely mystified, as if his world had been turned upside-down. And it had!

He guessed that Athena was trying to be calm because she didn't want to feel so greatly affected about having a descendant. When Athena returned to her throne, she gave him a look that said, _I _am_ proud of who you are... even if you're the child of Poseidon._

That, and the warm smiles of Zoë and Hestia, gave him the confidence to approach Zeus' throne without any fear for whatever was about to be bestowed on him.

"The Council has decided," Zeus announced immediately, "that, to repay you for your duty to Olympus, by killing four of the world's remaining and dangerous monsters, and capturing two, you shall be granted the immortality of the caliber of the Hunters of Artemis."

Percy went wide-eyed.

"Don't look so surprised," Zeus grumbled. "I'm surprised I actually agreed to this."

"Immortal?"

"Yes, you dim-witted nuisance." Zeus stretched his hand out at Percy before muttering an incantation. Then, he said, "Repeat after me. "I pledge myself to serving Greece."

"I pledge myself to serving Greece."

"I shall become the assistant of Chiron, a trainer of heroes, and accept eternal life."

Percy repeated.

Then, every Olympian, and Hestia, muttered in synchronization. Percy suddenly felt a powerful sensation fill him up, as if he had been injected with some energy-increasing magic. He suddenly felt more powerful, and certain thoughts in his head cleared up. He no longer felt like a seventeen-year-old. He felt... timeless.

"Honor Perseus," said Zeus, "the Everlasting Hero."

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**Hey everyone,**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter. Apologies for the rush at the end.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	23. Epilogue

**Hey everyone,**

**A HUGE THANK YOU to those who have followed, reviewed and put this story on their favorites list. I wish I could name you all, but frankly, I don't really have the energy for it. Please go visit my poll to answer the question given if you haven't answered already. It will help me greatly, even if it doesn't seem like it. I can't say thanks enough. By the time this is updated, the next story should be up.**

**IT WILL FOLLOW THE TROJAN WAR, LIKE MANY HOPED FOR ME TO DO. SORRY FOR THE CAPS BUT I LOVE TYPING IN CAPS. IT'S JUST ENTERTAINING.**

**With warm regards,  
SharkAttack719**

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**Epilogue**

Prince Paris of Troy felt powerful.

It was a wondrous feeling that came with the promise he had earned from the goddess of love. Confused? To explain it in the simplest way possible, it all started with a marriage that occurred twenty years ago between a sea nymph named Thetis and a Greek king named Peleus.

The gods and friends of Peleus were all invited to the massive party thrown for the newly-wed couple, all except for a certain goddess who went by the name of Eris, a goddess of chaos, strife and discord.

Zeus didn't invite her to the wedding because all she would do was make the others feel bad. And, so, in anger and retaliation, the goddess threw a golden apple, stolen from the Garden of the Hesperides, with the words "_For the Fairest_" written on it, into the party where it fell upon three other goddesses: Athena, Hera and Aphrodite.

Ever since then, the King of the Gods searched the world for the perfect mortal to judge which goddess was the fairest of them all. Twenty years after the wedding, when Paris was twenty-five years of age, Zeus came to him. Oh how the Prince of Troy was bestowed with the greatest blessing and the highest honour to be chosen as the one to judge three beautiful goddesses. It was right after a competition in which Ares in bull form had bested Paris' own prize bull, and the shepherd-prince had unhesitatingly awarded the prize to the god.

Soon enough, the three goddesses and Hermes arrived on Troy's doorstep and entered without a word of permission. People bowed to them on the streets, demigods of Aphrodite flocked to their mother like scavenger-birds to carrion.

And then they entered the palace grounds of Troy.

Hermes confronted Priam, Paris' father and King of Troy, and told him that the Judgement of Paris would take place on Mount Ida, in the Troad region of Asia Minor. Paris was to arrive on his own at exactly midday.

And so the Prince of Troy did, in his honour and duty to the gods.

When the goddesses appeared before him, he was too stunned to choose between them. They were all so beautiful in his eyes. Then they offered him gifts.

Hera offered Paris a deal in which he would become the king of Europe and Asia. Athena offered wisdom and skill in war. Aphrodite offered him the world's most beautiful woman.

The choice between those three options was barely a difficulty, even considerably not a difficulty whatsoever. Paris' older brother Hector was already heir to Troy, the most magnificent city in the entire world, and no kingship of any other lands would please Paris. He loved his brother dearly and wanted him to be the heir of Troy. Wisdom and skill in war... what would Paris feel the need to declare war for? In either case, Hector was the most skilled fighter the world had ever seen, and Troy had the best walls the world had ever seen. Troy would hold its ground in any attack, and even then, the walls of Troy had never been penetrated in many of the sieges and attacks by surrounding nations.

The only time in the past when the walls of Troy were penetrated was many years ago when the Greek hero named Heracles broke through with a couple of friends and killed Paris' grandfather, Laomedon. No major damages were done to the city.

And so, Paris' final choice was Aphrodite, giving the goddess the golden apple.

In return, he was to receive the most beautiful woman on Gaea.

"You better hurry up," Hector said as they entered the Greek city of Sparta. "We have to get home quickly to prepare the army. Menelaus will not take lightly to her kidnapping."

Paris nodded and made his way through the crowd with his brother. They were acting as a diplomatic convoy, to pretend that they were negotiating a peace treaty before Paris took Menelaus' wife, Helen of Sparta. She would soon be Helen of Troy.

The Greeks threw a grand feast for the arrival of the Trojans. It was spectacular, a feast of a huge magnitude. Men from all over Greece had seemingly come to meet them, from Athens, Delphi, Thessaly, Thrace, Macedon, Corinth, Argos and more. They were all kings are wealthy nobles of the Greek society.

The Spartans were a very militaristic people, shrines to Ares everywhere and armed soldiers walking around the city as if it were normal. When they entered the main banquet in the palace of Sparta, an explosion of food and guests awaited them. The gods seemed to want the Greeks to know of the Trojans' appearance.

"Come, brother," Hector told Paris. "Hurry up, don't slow down to admire things you will barely see. We will only be here for twelve days, so do not get accustomed to this."

When they got to the end of the man-made tunnel that led them to two empty thrones, Hector walked up and knelt at the feet of the empty thrones. Paris followed that example, though Hector was the one to speak. "Great Spartans of Greece! We are the Princes of Troy, Hector and Paris, sons of Priam and Hecuba. We have come great distances to speak to King Menelaus of Sparta."

"King Menelaus is not here," a friendly voice spoke from behind them.

Paris turned around to see a young man, about seventeen, staring at them. He had messy jet-black hair and sea-green eyes. They sparkled with mischief, yet they held great knowledge in them. That made him seem older than he looked. Paris thought he saw a hair clip hidden in the young man's hair, but he must have been dreaming. A man would not have a hair clip. Slung on his back was a bow, along with a quiver filled with arrows. Paris assumed this young man was a hunter of some sort.

At his side was an older man, a man that looked about nineteen or twenty years of age. He was clearly a warrior, contrasting the younger one in front of him. The way the Greeks seemed to regard him made Paris realized that he was a famous Greek warrior. He didn't look like a Spartan, though. This man looked even tougher, if that was possible.

The man stepped forward, but was held back by the younger man in front of him.

"Calm yourself, Achilles," the green-eyed man said. "They are just here to talk to Menelaus. But I assume, seeing as Menelaus isn't here, they should speak to the Queen of Sparta, Helen. It is only fair that a royal speaks to them."

The younger man turned to the one named Achilles and gave him a stern glare. Achilles nodded tersely before turning to Hector and Paris with an apologetic smile. "I am sorry, but Menelaus received an invitation to a funeral for his grandfather and I am quite mad that he isn't here to see that we actually arrived for a bit. I could have been training. I am Achilles, son of the sea nymph Thetis, Prince of Aegina and the Myrmidons."

Hector nodded. "And who is that young man beside you?"

"I may appear a young man on my outer shell, but one must never judge a person by who they are on the outside but rather who they are on the inside," the mysterious man said. "As for introductions, I welcome to you Helen of Sparta."

Suddenly the crowd parted behind the green-eyed man, and led by a few servants was the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen. This was his prize. The woman he was going to take home to Troy was right in front of his eyes.

Helen of Sparta was no more. She was now Helen of Troy.

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**Hey everyone,**

**Hope you enjoy this epilogue.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors in the chapter above.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


	24. Next Story

**Hello readers,**

**I just wanted to let you know that the next story is up (Everlasting Hero: The Golden Blade). Thanks to all for reading this story and I hope you enjoy the next one.**

**With best regards,  
SharkAttack719**


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